Urgent passage of salt industry revival bill sought

The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) has urged President Marcos to certify as urgent a bill aimed at revitalizing the beleaguered local salt industry.

In its aide-mémoire, PCAFI asked Mr. Marcos to make House Bill No. 1976 an urgent bill by endorsing it to Congress “for the immediate enactments of the said law.”

It also sought an initial budget next year of P300 million, which will be equally divided among Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, for the development of the salt industry.

The Philippines, despite having 36,000 kilometers of shoreline, the fifth longest shoreline in the world, imports 93 percent of its salt requirement.“Indeed, challenges exist in the local salt industry, and the government must undertake immediate steps to address them, lest the country be completely dependent on imported salt,” the group said.

HB No. 1976 seeks to revive the salt industry by crafting a comprehensive plan for its development and providing incentives to salt farmers and exporters.

Filed by Kabayan party list Rep. Ron Salo, the proposed legislation calls for the creation of the Administration for Salt Industry Development, Revitalization and Optimization (ASInDeRO).

It will be responsible for formulating short-, medium- and long-term development plans or a 10-year industry road map to breathe more life into the local salt industry and make local salt products more competitive against imports.

The ASInDeRO will be tasked to create and adopt directions, strategic action points and guidelines, and provide strategic directions and guidance to the various departments and agencies that would play a vital role in realizing the bill’s objectives.

Aside from identifying new areas suitable for implementing salt projects and building and leasing salt farms, it will also determine the investments expected from both the government and the private sector to help the salt sector.