PRESS STATEMENT– The COOP CHAMBER welcomes the signing into law of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, which “aims to strengthen and revitalize the salt industry in the Philippines.
It should be noted that the Philippine Salt Industry was in a dire situation because despite the country being archipelagic, it relies upon its salt through importation coming from China and Australia. The production of salt in the Philippines is just a measly 16.78 % or is estimated at 114,623.29 MT or 16.78% of the country’s annual salt requirement.
As we all know, Salt is an important ingredient in food and in many aspects. Thus, the revival of the salt industry will not only promote the administration’s agenda of rural development and contribute to producing more products, but it will also create more economic activities in the rural areas, and increase their household income.
The law was signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last March 11, 2024, and is also aligned with the administration’s food security agenda. The Coop Chamber shared the views of the President of Salt Industry Networks President Gerard Khonghun that “Salt self-sufficiency will contribute to the agro-industrial development of the Philippines. Salt is, therefore, a national food security issue—and without salt, we believe that the Philippines is vulnerable to a food supply chain crisis.”
Accordingly, the creation of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Council to be headed by the Department of Agriculture and co-chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry and representatives from the cooperatives in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (chosen by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) will formulate the Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap containing the short-term, medium-term, and long-term development plans, including specific and priority programs and projects.
Chairperson Noel Raboy further affirmed, “The role of cooperatives in the council is very much welcome as well, as we all know that cooperatives have a lot of experience on the ground in promoting programs and projects in partnership with the government to alleviate the poor and create livelihood activities for the upliftment of the lives of their members and the communities where they operate.”
