Salt Production of Pasuquin
DASHING THROUGH THE SALT
On our laboratory field trip in the mangrove plantation in Panzian-Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, our group observed the salt making industry along the way going to the main site.
Their procedure in making salt is different from the process that I know. I have seen how the people make salt along the highways of Pasuquin. They usually dissolve imported rock salt from Australia with the sea water and then process it to become a fine salt.
Another way of making salt is drying the sea water under the sun but this process may result to granular salt.
They usually make salt in this huts.The people gather sand from the beach associated with thick dried salt during low tide and transport it to the huts by the use of a cattle drawn cart, then they pile it beside this huts.
In that manner, they can now extract the salt by washing it out, salt is extracted by pouring sea water in the collected potential sand . The salt is redissolved in an outside basin beside the hut. The outside basin is connected to another basin inside the hut by a pipe where the dissolved salt is dripping, where it is also being collected.
 |
| inside basin with the pipe |
According to them, sea water cannot be processed directly in producing salt. The finished product may have a little bit bitter taste that may degrade the quality of their main product.
After collecting the extracted salt, it is now ready for cooking. The salt making process undergo condensation. The salty water is heated and cooked in a kiln until the fine salt particles will appear.
The traditional process in making salt is still practiced in the Municipality of Pasuquin. Despite the modernization and new technology of this era, the old process is still utilized. The traditional salt making process is intact in the culture of the people in Pasuquin, salt is their main product because their town is situated along the northern coast of the Philippine west sea. Their mass production of salt supplies the whole province of Ilocos Norte.
 |
| finished product (fine salt) |
 |
| a lot of fuel wood is needed in cooking salt |
THIS IS THE MANGROVE PLANTATION IN PASUQUIN
