Salt farmers harvesting the mineral in Dasol, Pangasinan on Thursday, March 9, 2023. INQUIRER.net photo / Jean Mangaluz
The House of Representatives has unanimously passed on final reading a bill seeking to create a comprehensive development plan aimed at revitalizing the country’s salt industry. On Monday, 287 representatives voted to approve on third reading House Bill No. 8278 or the Proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, a priority measure of President Marcos.In a statement, Speaker Martin Romualdez said the “significance of the salt industry has not been lost” on the President, who also sits as agriculture secretary.“He knows that we need to correct the sad irony that the country imports nearly 550,000 metric tons or 93 percent of its requirement for salt.
Under HB 8278, salt—whether unprocessed or processed—will be classified as a basic agricultural product with all its necessary legal and regulatory implications.