Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo has expressed elation over the inclusion of his pet measure--the proposed Salt Industry Development Bill--on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s list of priority legislation for this year.

Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo (left) and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

"I am very pleased that our proposed measure on the revitalization of the salt industry is part of the priority measures of the administration," Salo said in a statement.

"I thank the President for recognizing the urgent need to revitalize our dying salt industry. It is indeed high time that we give attention to this industry which has been overlooked for decades now," added the lawyer-solon, who filed House Bill (HB) No.1976 at the start of the current 19th Congress.

Malacañang announced Monday, Feb. 13 that the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) had included the passage of the bill amending Republic Act (RA) No. 8172 otherwise knows as the ASIN Law of 1995 in its priority measures.

While other congressmen have filed similar bills, Salo is by far the most vocal on the issue.

HB No.1976 is also known as the proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.

"The proposed legislative measure employs a whole-of-nation, whole-of-society, and whole-of-government approach as it seeks to revitalize the salt industry. It clearly outlines the specific role of various departments and agencies of the government toward salt self-sufficiency and mandates the provision of necessary funding," Salo said.

"The bill includes provisions on the identification of areas suitable for salt production, the construction and lease of salt farms, and the grant of incentives to businesses linked to salt farming, among others," he explained.

"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 will also be created," added the Kabayan solon.

The proposed measure is pending before the Committee on Agriculture and Food technical working group (TWG), of which Salo is the chairman.

Another proponent in AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee welcomed the development.

“We welcome the inclusion of  the Salt Industry Development Bill among the priority measures. Hindi makatarungan na magpatuloy ang sitwasyon sa sektor na ito na tayo lagi ang talo at dehado (For this situation to persist, wherein the salt industry is at a disadvantage, is injustice), said Lee.

Lee had earlier filed HB No.5676, his version of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Bill wherein he pitched the creation of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Task Force. His measure also bats for the allocation of P1 billion for the research and development of salt production technology.

“We should aggressively employ modern and alternative methods of salt farming available to maximize our natural resources and increase local production. We also need to provide incentives to businesses to invite more investments to revitalize our salt industry," said the neophyte solon.