BFAR starts salt worker registry, boosts industry in Mindoro

HARVEST SEASON Workers tend salt beds at JALD Industries Corp.’s 70-hectare salt farm in Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro, during a visit by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Mimaropa officials and industry stakeholders on Wednesday ahead of the Asin Harvest Festival. The farm produces various types of salt, including the high-quality “blue salt.” —PHOTO COURTESY OF PIA MIMAROPA/OCCIDENTAL MINDORO

CITY OF CALAPAN— The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Wednesday launched a nationwide registration program for salt workers, or “asinderos,” alongside the celebration of the first-ever Asin Harvest Festival in Magsaysay town, Occidental Mindoro.

Dubbed “Asindero, Rehistrado!”, the initiative aims to document and profile salt farmers across the country to guide the development of more targeted policies and programs for the local salt industry.

The program was unveiled by the Department of Agriculture–BFAR as part of efforts to strengthen the sector, which has long faced challenges in production, storage, and market competitiveness.

BFAR said the registry would “give a face and numbers” to salt workers, enabling the government to better identify their needs and provide appropriate assistance.

HARD LABOR Under scorching heat, workers harvest salt in Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro. —CONTRIBUTED

Warehouse

As part of the festival kickoff, BFAR also turned over a newly constructed salt warehouse to two local groups—the Nagkakaisang Samahan ng mga Mag-aasin ng Bagumbayan and the Laste Salt Workers and Services Association in Magsaysay.

The facility, spanning 600 square meters, is expected to significantly improve post-harvest handling by increasing storage capacity to between 40,000 and 50,000 metric tons of salt.

Officials said the warehouse would help reduce losses, stabilize supply, and support the long-term sustainability of salt production in the province.

The turnover ceremony followed a salt harvesting demonstration attended by BFAR regional directors, local government officials, and members of the salt farming community, who braved the intense summer heat to take part in the activities.

BFAR said the Asin Harvest Festival showcased the significance of the salt industry in Occidental Mindoro—one of the country’s major salt-producing areas—while emphasizing ongoing government efforts to revitalize and modernize the sector.