Voting 22-0, the Senate approved the proposed bill that seeks to strengthen and revitalize the salt industry in the country.

Approved on the third and final reading is Senate Bill No. 2243 or the proposed or the proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.

"My wholehearted support and gratitude to our dear colleagues for prioritizing this very important measure," Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri hopes that the measure will help coastal communities be able to produce salt once again.

Passage of SB No. 2243 into law would be essential in addressing the gaps in the country’s salt industry and making the industry competitive with local and international markets, including its potential to come up with more conducive jobs for Filipinos, especially salt farmers.

The measure proposes the establishment of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap that will formulate programs, projects, and interventions for the development, processing, and utilization, among others, of the Philippine Salt.

To ensure the implementation of this roadmap, and accelerate the modernization and industrialization of the Philippine Salt industry, under the measure a Philippine Salt Industry Development Council (Salt Council) will also be created.

The measure also states that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources shall provide technical support for the development of and operation of existing salt farms.

It mentioned that the agency shall assist in the design of small and medium-scale artisanal salt farms, either on its own or through a partnership with the private sector, while the Department of Science and Technology shall provide the necessary technology in the construction of large-scale salt farms employing modern technologies to increase production efficiency and environmentally-sound practices.