The Making of Philippine Artisanal Salt Harnessing Nature and its Present Challenges

บทคัดย่อ

Salt is an essential substance necessary for life and for the Philippines there are many ways of producing this substance. Salt in the Philippines is mainly obtained from sea water and the methods of extracting salt has become part of the culture of the Filipinos.  Filipinos in various regions of the country developed unique ways of producing salt.  To many Filipinos salt is a basic ingredient in their cuisine and to those afflicted with extreme poverty it was the viand of the very poor.  It is also associated with spiritual cleansing and driving away evil spirits.  Not all regions of the Philippines can produce salt with efficiency due to unfavorable natural conditions but for regions which are conducive to salt production, it has become part of the local heritage.  Some areas of the Philippines are known for salt production such as the province of Pangasinan which literally means “where salt is made” and there are places in the Philippines which are associated with salt such as Barrio Irasan in Las Piňas City.  The method of producing salt is usually artisanal in character and is very labor-intensive.  In recent times the Philippine salt industry faced serious challenges, some of which were caused by changes in the environment and other natural factors, others were man-made.  This paper discusses the Philippine salt industry in general and the artisanal or traditional salt making industry in particular.  It explains why the country’s salt industry is in decline despite the Philippines being surrounded by bodies of salt water and what is being done to save the country’s salt-making industry.