Only three salt farms remain in Cavite as land conversion, climate change, and a 1995 iodization law reduce traditional production.
In Noveleta and Kawit, Cavite, traditional salt makers like Rolando Palustre, 63, continue their craft after 45 years. They earn an average of P20,000 over a five-month production period from January to June, though frequent rains now shorten the season.
Albert Samartino, 58, said typhoons destroy salt beds and have raised rock salt prices from P70 per sack in 1990 to P250 today. Output has fallen from over 1,000 sacks to just 400 sacks.
Republic Act 8172 in 1995 mandated iodization, while RA 11985 signed in 2023 aims to boost the sector. Salt makers report receiving building materials but no financial aid from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, prompting shifts to fishing and milkfish farming.