Speedy passage sought for Salt Industry Development Act

MANILA, Philippines — Salt industry stakeholders are seeking the speedier passage of a bill that aims to strengthen and revitalize the country’s salt industry.

Stakeholders are calling to expedite the passage of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, in the amendment of Republic Act 8172 or the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN Law).

Salt industry players are also pushing for a collaborative inter-agency approach in the formulation and implementation of the Salt Industry Development Action Plan and the National Iodization Plan.

They are also asking for the creation of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap.

These recommendations were passed as resolutions during a National Salt Industry Stakeholders’ Consultation with the theme “Reviving the Struggling Salt Industry in the Philippines” held last month.

Conducted by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), the consultation aimed to generate policy recommendations and foster collaboration among government agencies, research institutions, and industry stakeholders.

PCAF said over 70 private stakeholders and government representatives from the different parts of the country convened to address the continuous decline in local salt production.

Salt is considered a very valuable commodity in the Philippines since it is one of the oldest goods produced, traded and consumed.

During the meeting, Antique Vice Governor Edgar Denosta highlighted the importance of salt in food preparation, preservation, and processing.

The country has been importing 93 percent of its salt supply, a situation that the DA had described as an “unfortunate circumstance for a country with 36,000 kilometers of shoreline.”