Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU trains LGUs, farmers in sustainable salt-making

By Ian Paul Villanueva

Extending its research findings to salt farmers and local government units (LGUs), the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) ASIN Project 1 held a three-day Capacity-Building on Geographic Information System (GIS) Utilization and Knowledge Sharing on Salt Production Practices on June 16-19.

Held at the university’s Coastal Engineering and Management Research and Development Center (COASTER), the three-day activity included a workshop with members of various salt-maker associations from Pasuquin, Laoag City, Currimao, Paoay, and Badoc.

In the workshop, MMSU researchers, led by ASIN Project Leader and MMSU Vice President for Research, Development, and Innovation Nathaniel Alibuyog, introduced modern salt production methods, scientific considerations in saltern establishment, and practical techniques in salt farming through demonstrations and knowledge-sharing sessions.

Representatives from various LGUs were also trained on the fundamentals of GIS utilization. With participants from the provincial governments of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and Occidental Mindoro, as well as other agencies, the training aimed to equip local governments with foundational GIS knowledge and skills to strengthen planning and decision-making processes in their respective jurisdictions.

Premising his message on the importance of salt as a commodity for both commercial and household uses, Dr. Alibuyog stressed the role of science and research in improving the country's salt industry, which today heavily relies on imports to meet the demand. 

“With this capacity-building activity, we have the opportunity to share our research findings with our salt makers as well as with LGUs inside and outside Ilocos Norte that have salt-making communities,” Dr. Alibuyog said, adding, “We at MMSU hope for this activity to positively impact our local salt-producing communities.”

The successful capacity-building activity underscores MMSU’s commitment to advancing research-based innovations and empowering stakeholders through science and technology. The training is part of the initiatives of the research project to reinforce partnerships among academic institutions, government agencies, and local communities in building a more sustainable and competitive Philippine salt industry.

MMSU ASIN Project 1 is a Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-funded research project. 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.