Daram, Samar – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is rolling out salt production projects here to turn the area’s rich seawater into extra income for residents.
Under the Development of the Salt Industry Project (DSIP), BFAR has provided equipment and training to two fisherfolk groups in this island municipality. Daram has 57 coastal communities, and fishing is the main livelihood for nearly all residents.
The Daram Association of Fish and Squid Processors and Barangay Ubo Dried Fish Vendors Association each received P100,000 worth of solar salt production gear—including lining modules, generator, pump, and storage drums. They also got hands-on training in Tacloban City to master the process.
Using simple solar evaporation, clean seawater is filtered and dried in covered setups. Initial runs already produced 180 kg of salt, which the groups now use for their own fish-drying work. The salt sells at P20 per kilogram.
Gilda Dosal Añez, president of one group, said salt-making suits women well—low capital needed and easy to manage.
BFAR will add P300,000 more in collapsible production units to raise output. The groups aim to scale up, make food-grade iodized salt, and share the technology with other villages.
Region-wide, DSIP covers 230 people across 13 associations and one cooperative in Eastern Visayas, expanding salt production across six provinces.
