FILE PHOTO: Salt is still harvested in small farms in the coastal town of Noveleta in Cavite province. The country has 36,000 kilometers of shoreline but only a few provinces are left producing salt. INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Cynthia Villar on Wednesday criticized the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (Asin) law, blaming it for the supposed death of the country鈥檚 salt industry.
During the Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform hearing, panel chairperson Villar noted that the law demanded local salt producers to iodize the popular food seasoning.
Senators then learned that the country eventually started importing non-iodized salt.
鈥淎no ba鈥檔g malaking kalokohan 鈥榶an? 鈥楧i sana pinayagan 鈥檔yo na lang 鈥榶ung local producers na hindi iodized at ni-require 鈥榥yo na lang na may manufacturer na mag-iodize kung ganu鈥檔 din lang ang gagawin 鈥榥yo na mag-i-import kayo ng hindi iodized tapos ire-require 鈥榥yong iodized,鈥� Villar lamented.
(What is this big nonsense? You should have allowed local producers to produce non-iodized salt and required some manufacturers to produce an iodized version if you will just import non-iodized salt after requiring iodized.)
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鈥淲hy was this law passed? Sino ba ang nag-advise sa Congress na i-pass 鈥榯ong salt iodization law na 鈥榯o? Sabihin 鈥榥yo sa鈥檏in kung sino ba ang nag-influence sa Congress na i-pass 鈥榯o? Pinatay nito ang salt industry. Bakit 鈥榥yo pinapatay ang salt industry?鈥� she asked.
(Who advised Congress to pass this salt iodization law? Tell me who influenced Congress. This killed our salt industry. Why did you kill our salt industry?)
The Asin law was passed in 1995 by then President Fidel Ramos in a bid to require the addition of iodine to salt to curb micronutrient malnutrition in the country.
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鈥淒uring the time when the law was being developed or formulated, the level of iodine deficiency in the Philippines was quite high, and one of the identified source or vehicle for iodine that is always consumed or regularly consumed or commonly consumed in the household is salt,鈥� National Nutrition Council鈥檚 Ellen Ruth Abella explained during the hearing.
But Villar argued that salt producers are not familiar with the iodization process.
鈥淭umigil ang mga salt producer kasi 鈥榶ung requirement n鈥檡ong iodization, hindi nila kaya 鈥榶un. Kasi for you to iodize, you have to have a processing [facility],鈥� she said.
(Salt producers stopped operations because they cannot comply with your iodization requirement. Because for you to iodize, you have to have a processing facility.)
鈥淵ou have to understand our small farmers. They are not as well educated as you are,鈥� she continued.
Villar lamented that no one is admitting who is in charge of the salt industry.
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鈥淲ala na ngayong uma-admit kung sino鈥檔g in charge. You let the whole industry deteriorate by agreeing to that Asin law na sabi nga dito sa study, one-third lang ang dapat iodized for human consumption, two-thirds is for other uses. Bakit ni-require lahat?鈥�
(Now, no one is admitting who is in charge. You let the whole industry deteriorate by agreeing to that Asin law, but according to a study, only one-third should be iodized for human consumption, and two-thirds is for other uses. Why did you require all?)
The Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform is conducting hearings to discuss salt supply and importation measures and the Philippine Salt Industry Development and Revitalization Act.
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