Lee: Salt Industry Development Law to create jobs, livelihood

AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee on Wednesday said the revival of the salt industry in the Philippines will contribute to efforts to ease the country’s rising unemployment rate.

“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.”

The proposed measure was recently passed on third and final reading in the Senate with a 22-0 vote. The bill was earlier approved by the House of Representatives in May.

Lee is the principal author of the House version of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.

The lawmaker 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.

“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.

The Bicolano lawmaker 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 Tayo Lahat.”