Salt is a sin? DOST Tech Turns Asin into Jobs and Growth

From the DOST public archive. Original source publication date: 2025-09-22. Captured 2026-09-04. Read the original DOST source.

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Alubijid, Misamis Oriental—For generations, salt making in this coastal town relied on the mercy of the sun and sea. But the once weather-dependent craft is now tasting a new kind of success.

Local salt producers are now powered by the Salt Production and Processing Technology developed by the Department of Science and Technology–Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI)—a breakthrough that produces whiter, finer crystals and keeps operations running even through the rainy months.

A salt maker in action, using the DOST-ITDI Salt Production and Processing Technology.

Through a partnership between DOST and KGL Incorporated, owned by entrepreneur Glenn Yasay, the innovation accelerates crystallization and significantly boosts salt production capacity in Northern Mindanao. By moving beyond traditional sun-drying, the community is no longer hostage to unpredictable weather and rising market competition.

During his visit to the production site of KGL on September 18, 2025, DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. asked Yasay about the business’s progress since adopting the new method and listened to the remaining challenges. Yasay shared that peak-season employment is set to triple because the spouses and children of salt farmers are also helping out, providing extra income to more families in the area. The Secretary also discussed possible solutions to sustain this growth and affirmed the Department’s readiness for continued assistance.

On July 8, 2025, Secretary Solidum showed his support for the Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap (PSIDR) 2025–2040, launched by the Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) in Quezon City. The roadmap aims to make the country’s salt sector productive, sustainable, and globally competitive, complementing DOST’s own interventions across the archipelago.

Locally-produced salts and artisanal salts such as Asin Tibuok, Asin sa Buy-o, Tultul, and Sugpo Asin were featured during the launch of the PSIDR 2025–2040.

Among those interventions is the Accelerating Salt Research and Innovation (ASIN) Center at Pangasinan State University, inaugurated in November 2023 under the NICER Program with a ₱93.57-million funding, to advance research and equip local producers. Another is DOST’s Salt Production and Iodization Project in Uyugan, Batanes, which is enabling the island province to be self-sufficient in salt production—no longer relying on imports from mainland Luzon.

Sec. Solidum led the site visit to the Salt Production and Iodization Project in Uyugan, Batanes in 2024.

For Alubijid, Misamis Oriental, the impact is already tangible.

“This is what Agham na Ramdam truly means,” Secretary Solidum said. “With innovation, we are protecting livelihoods, creating jobs, and proving that even a humble grain of salt can drive regional and national growth. When communities embrace technology, they don’t just keep up with change, they shape their own future.”

From L-R: Engr. Ruel Banal, DOST Region X Assistant Regional Director; Dr. Renato U. Solidum, DOST Secretary; Mr. Glenn Yasay, KGL Inc. Owner

The visit affirmed DOST’s commitment to harness science for measurable economic and social impact. “Salt is a sin that everyone wants,” Sec noted, “and this coastal town stands as proof that we can close the supply gap.” ###

(By: Karen Vivien A. Conducto, DOST-Office of the Secretary)