The saying “salt is life” holds true, not only on a personal level but also on a macro economic aspect. Salt is not just an ingredient to flavor dishes, but an important mineral that our bodies require for essential function.
According to Harvard School of Public Health, the human body requires “a small amount of salt to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals.”
Aside from personal use, salt is also a critical component in various industries, especially in food preservation. For example, salting food such as meat and fish draws water out, which preserves the food since bacteria can’t survive in a high-salt environment.
If salt is vital for life and the economy, then how is our local salt industry? It seems the news “could use some salt.”
Referring to Senate Bill No. 1870 or “Strengthening and Revitalizing the Development of the Salt Industry in the Philippines,” filed by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, its explanatory note revealed that our country “ranks fifth in the world with the longest coastline and first in the highest coastline-to-land area ratio, a geographic feature that makes it prime for salt production.” Our country is also “endowed with rich and fine salt beds, making it self-sufficient at the height of salt production in the ‘80s.”
Despite the Philippines being blessed with this natural advantage, the local salt industry has been struggling due to various reasons. For one, the ratification of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1994 was “believed to have led to the flooding of cheap salt imports (industrial grade) into our market. The price of locally produced salt could not compete with the price of imported salt. Despite the huge potential of the industry, it dwindled to the brink of extinction.”
Then, Republic Act No. 8172 or the ASIN Law was passed in 1995, which mandated salt iodization to curb iodine deficiency disorders in the country. “However, salt iodization requires the use of sophisticated and costly machinery and technology making the industry limited to large-scale salt traders, marginalizing the small and medium salt farmers who cannot afford the costs. Due to a lack of training, funds, resources, and support for the small producers, the eventual death of the salt industry became inevitable.”
Additionally, factors such as urbanization, high maintenance costs, climate change, and limited government support have further contributed to the decline of the industry.
Cognizant of the situation, SB No. 1870 seeks to “revitalize the salt industry and address the identified challenges and gaps, with the end view of making the Philippine salt industry competitive in the local and international markets, while providing opportunities for local employment and establishing salt-based community enterprises.”
Just recently, a House panel approved a related bill on salt industry development. The panel approved a bill exempting locally produced salt from mandatory iodization and giving producers the flexibility of catering to different markets, among other provisions.
Over the years, it has been noted that the country imports around 550,000 metric tons of salt, equivalent to 93 percent of the nation’s salt requirement. And the number is expected to increase. If salt is essential, then investing in and strengthening the salt industry is a practical move. It will not only fill the demand for salt but also provide opportunities for employment and establish salt-based community enterprises. With a dash of salt in our economy, it will be a win-win recipe for all.