Salt research and development center inaugurated in Pangasinan to boost PHL salt industry

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Tuesday inaugurated the country’s first salt research and development center, aiming to revive the declining salt industry and achieve the country’s salt self-sufficiency.

The facility, called the Accelerating Salt Research and Innovation (ASIN) Center, was built at Pangasinan State University (PSU) with support funding of ₱43 million from DOST and is monitored by the attached agency Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) under the Niche Centers in the Regions for Research and Development (NICER) program. PSU also allocated a ₱20 million counterpart to set up the building.

DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said the center aims to address the country’s overreliance on imported salt, which currently accounts for 93% of total demand, while only 7% is produced locally. He noted that limited salt farms, aging farmers, and outdated technologies have contributed to the decline of the country’s salt industry.

“The establishment of the ASIN R&D Center is our response to decades of underinvestment in salt science and a decisive step toward achieving true salt self-sufficiency,” Mr. Solidum said during his speech at the launch event.

The ASIN Center was enabled by Republic Act No. 11985, or the Philippine Salt Industry Act, signed in early 2024. The law promotes the use of machines and cost-effective technologies to improve salt production in the country.

The ASIN Center is set to be a hub for exploring new and efficient ways to process salt. It is equipped with advanced laboratory testing equipment, training and workshop areas, and a salt production technology demonstration site.

PSU President Elbert M. Galas said the system being developed at the center is poised to improve both the quality and quantity of salt produced. Once patented and ready for commercialization, it will be available for potential local adopters.

“Ibig sabihin, papalakihin pa nila yung machine para mas marami pang ma-produce” [This means they will scale up the machine to produce more], Mr. Galas told reporters.

Once operational, the system can produce 300–350 liters of brine in just 3.5 hours and yield up to 55 kilograms of salt in 2–2.5 hours, compared with traditional methods that take up to 7 hours, while using only 30 kilowatts of electricity, said Rex B. Basuel, program leader of the ASIN Center.

Mr. Solidum noted that the system is also exploring ways to make salt production more cost-effective for potential adopters, such as using solar energy and traditional salt-cooking methods to improve energy efficiency.

Local farmers and smaller stakeholders are also expected to benefit from the technologies developed at the ASIN Center, as communities and local government units can access the technology, Mr. Basuel told BusinessWorld.

“Kung assisted sila ng government through equipment, ang expectation noon pwede na silang magtaas ng farmgate price” [If the government provides equipment, they are expected to raise farmgate prices], he said, noting that the technology can help farmers produce processed salt of higher value.

The new system developed at the center is expected to be piloted at Bulinao Salt Farm in Pangasinan in partnership with the provincial government, allowing the technology to be adopted and upscaled, Mr. Galas said.

Regarding the ASIN Center’s sustainability, which is organized into three divisions — Membrane Science and Separation Technology, Salt Science and Applications, and Process Design and Engineering — Mr. Galas said they are currently processing plantilla items with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). — Edg Adrian A. Eva