The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is set to map and identify public lands, including portions of municipals waters, that are suitable for salt production areas in a bid to revitalize the country’s salt industry.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on March 11 approved and signed RA No. 11985, or “An Act Strengthening and Revitalizing the Salt Industry in the Philippines, Appropriating Funds Therefor.” Priority will be given to public lands situated in the provinces identified as suitable for salt production and declared as priority areas for salt production, namely Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Marinduque, Quezon Province, Misamis Oriental and Antique.
A Salt Industry Development Council will be created “to ensure the unified and integrated implementation of the Salt Roadmap and accelerate the modernization and industrialization of the Philippine salt industry,” where the DENR chief will be a member or her designated permanent representative.