Salt sector revitalization sought
Under the HB 1976, the government must offer salt farmers, particularly artisanal salt farmers, financial, physical, and technological support to advance their trade
Daily TribuneUnder the HB 1976, the government must offer salt farmers, particularly artisanal salt farmers, financial, physical, and technological support to advance their trade
The House Committee on Agriculture and Food on Tuesday formed a technical working group to analyze further two proposed measures that both seek to revitalize the country's ailing salt sector and build a comprehensive plan for its development.
House Bill 1976 and HB 5676 — filed by Kabayan Representative Ron Salo and AGRI Representative Wilbert Lee — are seen to significantly reduce imports if passed into law.
However, Quezon First District Representative Mark Enverga admitted that more discussions are needed before the panel approves HB 1976 and while several stakeholders expressed their opinions on Salo's bill, neither the Department of Agriculture nor the Department of Finance sent any representatives to the meeting to provide their input.
"The bill seeking to revitalize the salt industry, of course needs further discussions, and best in a technical working group for us to be able to come up with a substitute bill that would incorporate all the positions and comments of all concerned stakeholders," Enverga said.
Under the HB 1976, the government must offer salt farmers, particularly artisanal salt farmers, financial, physical, and technological support to advance their trade.
It likewise mandates the government to invest in finding and building salt farms that can be leased to qualified salt farmers, whether be firms, cooperatives, or individuals.
Salo, the bill's author, was designated as TWG chairperson.
Meanwhile, Lee's HB 5676 would establish the Philippine Salt Industry Development Task Force, tasked with creating and implementing the Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap, which would serve as a roadmap for the growth, expansion, and long-term preservation of the country's salt production sector.
The roadmap shall include programs, projects, and interventions for developing and managing, researching, processing, utilization, business development, and commercialization of Philippine salt.
"This bill seeks to lessen our reliance on imports by providing our local salt stakeholders with ample support and protection so they can develop," Lee said.
"We recognize that this is a long-term task that is why we need a roadmap that will take us step by step through the years. But we have to start now," he added.
Enverga, meanwhile, told lawmakers and the public that his committee would prioritize Salo's bill, noting that they would strive to schedule TWG sessions so that other sectors' issues could be covered.
