TWO lawmakers on Wednesday said the revival of the salt industry in the Philippines will contribute to efforts to ease the country’s rising unemployment rate.

AGRI Rep. Wilbert T. Lee and Kabayan Rep. Ron P. Salo thanked the Senate for following the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez in passing the Salt Industry Revitalization Bill.

“The passage of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act could not have come at a better time especially since unemployment in the country has been steadily increasing,” said Lee.

“We look forward to this important piece of legislation being signed into law by the President. Pagdating sa trabaho, lahat ng pwedeng gawin, dapat gawin,” Lee said.

Lee and Salo are among the principal authors of the House version of Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, which was passed on third and final reading on May 29, 2023.

“Indeed, this brings us closer in realizing our goal of reviving our ailing salt industry and providing our salt farmers a decent and humane livelihood,” Salo stated.

“This important step, however, is only the beginning of our commitment to reinvigorate our once robust Philippine salt industry,” Salo added.

The proposed measure was recently passed on third and final reading in the Senate with a 22-0 vote.

Lee expressed concern with the second consecutive increase in the country’s jobless rate, which is up to 4.8 percent in July from 4.5 percent in June, according to the latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“This is a problem that must be closely monitored because fewer jobs means more hungry families. But for every problem, there are many solutions—and the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act is one of them,” said Lee.

Lee, who hails from Sorsogon, explained that reviving the industry has the potential to generate thousands of new jobs, particularly in the countryside and coastal communities. It would also help the country become salt self-sufficient, and avoid having to import some 500,000 metric tons of salt every year, equivalent to around 90 percent of the country’s salt requirement.

According to Lee, “kapag na-develop ang ating industriya ng asin, makakagawa tayo ng mga karagdagang trabaho, lalo na sa ating coastal communities.”

“Ang end goal natin ay maging salt self-sufficient at maging net exporter ng asin ang ating bansa na siya namang magbibigay ng dagdag-kita para sa ating ekonomiya kaya magiging winner tayong lahat,” Lee said.

Salo said it could be noted that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. included the Philippine Salt Industry Revitalization Act as one of his priority measures.

“Once passed into law, we will be establishing a sustainable and productive industry which will create many green jobs for our people, and eventually redound to the benefit of the entire nation,” Salo concluded.