MMSU studies map salt production suitability of Ilocos Region
By Ian Paul Villanueva
Two studies of Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) identified parts of the Ilocos Region that are suitable for salt farming using remote sensing technologies. The research studies, undertaken from 2023 to 2025, point to untapped areas that could boost local production and reduce the country’s reliance on imported salt through mapped potential saltern sites.
The paper, “Mapping Potential Saltern Areas Using Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis of Physical and Climatic Parameters for Sustainable and Innovative Salt Production,” identified sites in the Ilocos Region that have characteristics ideal for salt production, classifying them according to their levels of suitability.
The authors, Dr. Rodel Utrera, Dr. Nathaniel Alibuyog, Engr. Julius Jonar Butay, Engr. Joemel Agreda, Engr. Nadine Sharinette Bravo, and Mr. Lord Ian Galano, achieved this by considering physical and meteorological factors such as land cover, topography, and weather data.
Meanwhile, the paper “Mapping and Classification of Crystallization Ponds in Pangasinan Salterns Using LandSat Imagery for Salt Production Estimation” identified and measured existing crystallization ponds in Pangasinan, one of the country’s leading salt-producing provinces. More commonly known as salt beds, crystallization ponds are where saltwater turns into salt crystals that can be harvested.
The authors of the paper Dr. Utrera, Engr. Bravo, Engr. Butay, Dr. Alibuyog, and Mr. Galano sought to create a framework that uses remote sensing technologies to estimate salt yield and which could be replicated in other parts of the country that have crystallization ponds.
Both studies were produced by the MMSU ASIN Project 1, led by Dr. Nathaniel Alibuyog, Vice President for Research Development and Innovation of the university, and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). It is one of four component research projects under the larger Accelerating Salt Research and Innovation (ASIN) Program composed of MMSU alongside Pangasinan State University, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, and President Ramon Magsaysay State University.
The two studies were recently published as Scopus-indexed conference papers through the 46th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS), which was held in November last year in Makassar, Indonesia. The publication and Scopus indexing of the studies provide scientific backing for efforts to achieve salt self-sufficiency, offering tools for better planning and resource management in the sector.
Dr. Utrera, a project staff of MMSU ASIN Project 1 and presenter of the papers at the ACRS, shared that the studies find great significance in supporting the strengthening of the nation’s salt industry. “These outputs help address gaps in data and salt productivity by using remote sensing tools. Our hope is that they will contribute to the enhancement of our nation’s salt production and support a self-reliant salt industry,” he said.
According to data from MMSU ASIN Project 1, salterns or salt farms in the Philippines are responsible for the bulk of national production, while other methods like cooking, which is practiced in Ilocos Norte, contribute less. Nevertheless, as much as 80-90% of the country’s salt requirements are met through imports. Such contrasting figures are what the DOST and its partner universities, like MMSU, aim to address through research.
Apr, 16, 2026 12:14:pm
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