The revival of the salt industry, through Republic Act (RA) No. 11985 or Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, will generate thousands of new jobs, particularly in the countryside and coastal communities.

Signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on March 11, RA 11985 shall establish a comprehensive roadmap to implement programs, projects and interventions for the development and management, research, processing, utilization, business modernization and commercialization of the Philippine salt.

“Bukod sa libo-libong trabaho na bagong malilikha ng batas na ito, madadagdagan din ang kita ng ating mga salt farmers (Apart from the thousands of new jobs that this law will create, the income of our farmers will also increase),” Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said of the law which he principally authored.

“Our work does not end with the signing of this measure into law. We need to ensure its proper and effective implementation,” he added in a news release Sunday.

Aside from encouraging investments and increasing local salt production through the expansion of existing and idle salt farms, Lee said the law will boost capacity building for salt farmers and strengthen market linkages.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall ensure that salt is a priority commodity to be produced locally.

The measure classifies salt as an aquatic resource product and shall be exempt from all taxes.

The DA-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, in close coordination with the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, shall spearhead the development of the latest technology in salt production particularly technology that allows year-round production of salt even under erratic weather patterns.

It shall also encourage the mechanization of salt production and develop technologies that promote alternative methods and cost-effective techniques in salt production.

Lee thanked President Marcos and his fellow lawmakers in both houses of Congress for the enactment of RA 11985.

“With proper monitoring and implementation, we can achieve our ultimate goal to be salt self-sufficient and become a net exporter of salt. We can now avoid having to import 500,000 metric tons of salt every year, or more than 90 percent of the country’s salt requirement,” he said.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez said RA 11985 is a crucial step forward in advancing the development and modernization of the salt industry.

“The ultimate goal is to facilitate sustainable production that could potentially lead to salt exportation, contributing to the country’s economic growth,” Romualdez said in a statement. (PNA)