November 15, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s salt sector is calling for greater government aid, urging faster action on key policies including the release of a P210-million support fund.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) said stakeholders made the call during back-to-back meetings in Dagupan City it organized earlier this month where urgent steps needed to revive domestic salt production were outlined.
“The strategic gatherings underscored the collective determination of government agencies, producers and regional players to restore the competitiveness of the salt industry,” said PCAF, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The policy-making arm of the DA said stakeholders had pushed for the hundred-million appropriations for the Salt Industry Development Fund under the 2026 national budget, noting that tariff collections alone were not enough to finance rehabilitation and expansion efforts.
PCAF also said policy suggestions were made to have the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) use the nine-percent tariff share designated for sector development.
Stakeholders also urged the government to immediately finalize and issue the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11985 or the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.
The IRR is seen as crucial in allowing salt producers and local industries to access government support programs and funding, as well as fully operationalizing the law.
Additionally, setting floor and ceiling prices for locally produced salt was recommended to help stabilize the market amid reports of unregulated imports and price undercutting.
Representatives from the Philippine Statistics Authority also agreed to review the current classification of salt production, which is still tagged under mining and quarrying.
Considerations were made to reclassify it under agriculture and fisheries to enable better access to government programs and support for salt producers.
For its part, the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. announced plans to design and test a salt-focused insurance product by the second quarter of 2026.
The move is expected to provide producers with protection from extreme weather and market disruptions.
PCAF said it would consolidate all recommendations from the meetings and endorse them to the DA and other national agencies.
Stakeholders expressed hope that the government would act within the year.
