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MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed the measure essentially aimed at giving the Philippines’ salt industry a lifeline, Malacañang announced on Sunday, March 17. The law tasks the Department of Natural Resources and attached agencies National Mapping and Resource Information Authority and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to identify priority areas for salt production across over a dozen provinces, namely:Once the selected areas are mapped out, their administrative jurisdiction shall be transferred from DENR to BFAR, which shall then allocate the public lands to qualified salt farmers.
“Iodization of artisanal and non-food grade salt and salt intended for export is hereby rendered optional in the country. The use of artisanal salt by food manufacturers and food establishments shall be allowed,” the law reads.Lawmakers have blamed the Ramos administration-era Republic Act No. 8172, or Salt Iodization Law, for killing the industry, as salt producers found it challenging to keep up with the the sophisticated technology and machinery that salt iodization requires.