A party-list lawmaker seeks to revitalize the local salt industry in a bid prevent the country’s full dependence on imported salt.
Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo filed House Bill 1976 in “pursuit of a comprehensive plan for the development of the local salt industry and the grant of incentives to salt farmers and exporters.”
He lamented that the country imports much of national salt requirement.
“The Philippines used to be salt self-sufficient. Today, it is a huge importer of salt. Import is estimated at around 550,000 metric tons of salt every year which constitutes around 93 percent of the country’s salt requirement. This is ironic considering that the Philippines has 36,000 kilometers of shoreline—the fifth longest shoreline in the world—which can be utilized for massive salt production,” Salo explained.
“Thus, unless the government undertakes immediate steps to address this sad state of the salt industry, the Philippines will soon be completely dependent on imported salt,” Salo stressed.
Salo added, “In all this, we also need to ask ourselves, where are now the salt farmers and their families who had long been dependent on salt production for their livelihood?”
The bill suggested a holistic approach to revitalize the salt industry. It acknowledges the indispensable role of the private sector, but ensures that the government takes the lead in developing the industry. It clearly outlined the specific role of various departments and agencies of the government toward salt self-sufficiency and mandates the provision of necessary funding.
HB 1976 tasks the government to provide technical, physical, and financial assistance to salt farmers, including artisanal salt farmers, to develop and improve their craft. It also mandates the government to invest in the identification and construction of salt farms for lease to qualified salt farmers, whether individuals, associations, cooperatives or corporations.
The proposed measure seeks to promote indigenous salt-making technology, just as it seeks to harness current technological advances in salt-making. It also protects artisanal salt farmers by providing avenues where they will be able to market their products, including un-iodized salt.
To ensure the successful implementation of the law, an inter-agency body to be called ASInDeRO, for Administration for Salt Industry Development, Revitalization and Optimization, shall be established. It would be co-headed by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry, with members from Executive agencies concerned, and would engage with relevant industry stakeholders.
“When enacted, HB 1976 not only aims to revitalize the local salt industry, but it also seeks to attain increased income for salt farmers and salt producers, allowing the country to achieve salt self-sufficiency and become a net exporter of salt,” Salo said.