The Northern Samar provincial government has established the first community-based salt and sardines production facility in San Vicente town to address the age-old concern of post-harvest losses.

Jhon Allen Berbon, head of the Provincial Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (PEDIPO), said the facility is operated by the Sangputan Workers Association (SWA), a group of 25 villagers in the coastal community of Sangputan in San Vicente town.

The value-adding mechanism centers on the production of salt and serves two purposes: to preserve and process their daily catch while also supplying the Northern Samar local market.

“This sustainable business model emerged from a thorough workshop that analyzed the community’s available resources, market demands, and post-harvest challenges, ultimately crafting a strategy that transforms raw marine resources into higher-value products for both local consumption and commercial distribution,” Berbon said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

Projections indicate that SWA can initially produce over 18 kilos of salt per week for each crystallization module, with plans to scale up production as the facility expands.

The provincial government, through PEDIPO, officially turned over last Aug. 12 some PHP926,248 worth of equipment, materials, and capacity-building support to strengthen the association’s salt production and sardine processing operations.

The newly inaugurated facilities are expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses, increase production capacity, improve product quality, and expand market opportunities for locally produced salt and sardines.

For years, the towns along the San Bernardino Strait, despite being blessed with abundant marine resources, have suffered significant post-harvest losses in their fisheries sector, reaching over 38 percent of total production, according to Berbon.

“These losses stemmed largely from inadequate handling practices and the absence of proper storage facilities among local fisherfolk,” he said.

In a statement, Governor Harris Christopher Ongchuan expressed optimism that the program’s success in Sangputan village will inspire similar initiatives across other towns, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and rural enterprise growth. (PNA)