Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan is earnestly looking forward to the enactment soon of a law that would establish a five-year roadmap aimed at revitalizing and modernizing the Philippines’ moribund salt industry, following the ratification by both houses of the Congress of the final version of the proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.
Yamsuan said he is optimistic that the measure would gradually reverse the current situation where the country imports about 92 percent of its salt requirements.
“Our key goals in approving this measure is to make the Philippines self-sufficient in salt, and subsequently, a net exporter of this vital commodity. By promoting public and private investments in the salt industry, as outlined under the Salt Industry Development Act, we are confident that the government under the Marcos Jr. administration would be able to fulfill these goals,” said Yamsuan, one of the principal authors of the measure.
Yamsuan said the proposed law also provides the necessary support to small salt producers and cooperatives to boost their production. These include providing them inputs and equipment for salt development; establishing salt farm warehouses; and developing modern salt production and processing technologies.
The House of Representatives and the Senate have both ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act before the Congress adjourned for its traditional holiday break. The enrolled copy of the bill, which needs to be signed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, would then be submitted to the President for signing into law.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has identified the bill as among the priority measures of his administration.
“The timely enactment of this measure will revitalize the salt industry and create tens of thousands of jobs in the agriculture sector, especially if we are able to modernize the industry and export salt for industrial purposes,” Yamsuan said.
Yamsuan said the conference committee report of the measure identifies 13 provinces as priority areas for salt production. These are Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Marinduque, Quezon Province, Misamis Oriental and Antique.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) are tasked under the measure to identify and designate public lands as salt production areas in these provinces, Yamuan said.
Salt, whether in processed or unprocessed form, is classified as an aquatic resource product and shall be exempt from all taxes under the measure.
A Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap will also be formulated and established with the goal of accelerating the modernization and industrialization of the salt industry.
Yamsuan said the Philippine Salt Industry Development Council chaired by the DA and with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as vice chairperson is tasked under the measure to formulate, unify and integrate the implementation of the Roadmap.
Citing figures from the Philippine Association of Salt Industry Networks (PhilASIN), Yamsuan pointed out that the country has 36,000 kilometers of shoreline, compared to Vietnam’s 3,200 km. Yet Vietnam is able to produce an average of 1.1 million metric tons of salt each year from 12,000 hectares, which is a far cry from the Philippines’ 60,000 MT from only 2,100 hectares of land.
If this situation is not corrected soon, PhilASIN said the Philippines is projected to import 96 percent of its salt requirements by 2030.
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Source: Police Files Tonite
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