ILOILO – Western Visayas’ first salt-cooking facility is poised to produce up to 150 kilograms of high-quality salt daily, offering fisherfolk in Ajuy, Iloilo a new source of income while helping revive the region’s local salt industry.
The P812,000 facility was unveiled as the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Region 6 and the Department of Science and Technology–Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) trained members of the Punta Dolorosa Fisherfolk Association (PDFA) in its operation.
The four-day hands-on training, held from July 8 to 11, equipped association members with the technical knowledge and skills needed to operate the modern facility and sustain commercial salt production.
Participants were taught the entire production process, including brining, boiling, crystallization, drying and packaging, through lectures and live demonstrations.
The sessions were led by DOST-ITDI Senior Science Research Specialist Oliver Evangelista and Science Research Assistant Melquiades B. Canceran.
PDFA chairperson Jovan Beloria assured the government agencies that association members would protect the investment and work to improve the facility’s efficiency and product quality.
“One hundred percent committed gid kami sa sini nga project,” Beloria said.
The facility was established under the Development of Salt Industry Project, which seeks to increase domestic salt production while providing coastal communities with sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Before the project, PDFA members relied on rudimentary solar salt-processing methods that limited both production capacity and product quality.
The new salt-cooking technology is expected to improve the consistency and purity of their salt, enabling the association to meet local demand and eventually compete in wider markets.
The project is a collaboration among DA-BFAR, DOST-ITDI under Director Annabelle Briones, and the Ajuy municipal government.
Beyond increasing the local salt supply, the facility is expected to strengthen fisherfolk livelihoods, food security and community resilience through the adoption of technology suited to grassroots producers./PN
