MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed a technical working group (TWG) to oversee research development and promotion of modern farming techniques in the salt industry in preparation for the implementation of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.
The TWG was formed through Special Order (SO) 1012 issued by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
The TWG was created pursuant to Section 16 of Republic Act 11985 that mandates concerned DA agencies to develop the latest technology in salt production, particularly those that would allow year-round output of the commodity even under erratic weather conditions.
The law also stipulated that the government must encourage the mechanization of salt production from pre- to post-harvest.
President Marcos signed the law last March with the goal of strengthening and revitalizing the country’s domestic salt industry.
Tiu Laurel tasked the TWG to prepare the government’s strategic research and development plan, including the necessary budgetary requirements, in compliance with the law.
The TWG shall also conduct a benchmarking on existing state-of-the-art salt technologies as well as develop, validate and verify latest salt production technologies.
Furthermore, the group would encourage the mechanization of various processes across the salt value chain.
It will also develop technologies that would promote alternative methods and cost-effective techniques on salt production.
The TWG will recommend to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that required annual appropriations to implement the identified research and development and mechanization efforts aimed at developing the domestic salt industry.
Based on the SO, the TWG would be chaired by Ulysses Montojo, the chief of the Fisheries Postharvest Research and Development Division of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI).
The co-chairperson would be Andres Tuates Jr. who heads the bioprocess engineering division of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech).
Both the heads of NFRDI and PhilMech would serve as advisers of the TWG.
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