In its move to capacitate salt industry players in the region, the DA-BFAR 2 organized an educational and benchmarking tour to known salt-producing areas in Region 01 to have insights and deeper appreciation of the best practices employed in salt production process in these areas from February 18-21, 2025.

Said initiative is part of the Bureau’s Development of Salt Industry Project’s lined up activities for CY 2025, wherein the group visited the famous and Manamtam Salt Spring, in Bambang Nueva Vizcaya, a known source of mineral salt. 

The next stop was in Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University San Fernando, La Union, an institution recognized as developer of salt-production technologies using solar energy, showcased their technology demonstration projects and other research initiatives in salt. Dr. Andie John Tadeo, Director DMMMSU Fisheries Research and Training Institute shared the status of the salt industry in Region 1 and the institution’s initiatives in salt production to the lakbay-aral participants.   

The group also went to Badoc, Burgos and Pasuquin in the province of Ilocos Norte, where they witnessed different ways in producing salt such as traditional cooking; cooking using a mother rock salt; solar evaporation with cooking; and salt production method developed by the Department of Science and Technology.

With the implementation of the DSIP project, it introduced a technology that improves traditional processes and at the same time introduced new methods that will ensure produced salts meet good manufacturing practices and sanitation standards for safe human consumption. (with reports from A. Tacuycuy, DSIP)