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Villar introduces amendments to salt bill: Sen. Cynthia Villar introduces amendments to Senate Bill No. 2243 or the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act Tuesday, September 5, 2023. The measure, sponsored by Villar, seeks to boost the salt industry in the country. Replying to Sen. Pia Cayetano's question, Villar explained that the soon to be created council under SBN 2243 shall be concerned with the development of the salt industry while the existing board under Republic Act 8172 or the Act of Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN) Law shall continue to focus on food grade salt. She said the health secretary shall be a member of the soon to be created council once the measure is passed into law. Earlier, Villar said Filipino farmers used to produce 89 percent of the country’s salt requirement in the 1970s. She said farmers stopped producing salt when the ASIN law was passed because they were not taught how to iodize salt. ASIN requires all salt, including those used for fertilizers and industry, to be iodized. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)