Philippines

Philippines Scott 388
Salt Spring
Pictorial Definitive Issued February 15, 1935

Philippines Scott 388
"Victory" Overprint on "Commonwealth" Overprint of 1940 on "Salt Spring" Design of 1935

As a result of the loss of evaporation beds due to urbanization and a failure to update production technology, salt production in the Philippines has declined significantly from 1 238 610 metric tonnes in 2016 to 200 000 metric tonnes in 2020. Although most salt production is tied to seawater, the fate of the salt industry is mirrored in the history of the salt spring featured on Philippines stamps from 1935 to 1945. After producing salt for millions of years, the Salinas Springs near the mountain town of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya produced salt. Then, abruptly, in 1990 it stopped when the spring that fed it was diverted as a consequence of the Luzon earthquake. There is hope that the local tourist industry can be revived as a new spring has developed several kilometres away. Hopefully the Philippine salt industry can find a parallel route to revival.

Sources

de Leon, Dwight. "What led to the demise of the Philippine salt industry, and what needs to be done."
     Rappler. 25 Oct. 2022. Web. 14 Feb. 2023
     www.rappler.com/newsbreak/explainers/what-led-demise-needs-to-be-done-salt-industry-philippines/.

Limos, Mario Alvares. "What Ever Happened to the Legendary Salinas Salt Springs?" Esquire Philippines.
     1 Dec. 2020. Web. 29 Jan. 2023.
     www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/salinas-salt-springs-a00293-20201201.

Reichl, C. and M. Schatz. World Mining Data 2022. Republic of Austria, Federal Ministry of Agriculture,
     Regions and Tourism:Vienna, 2022. Web. 14 Feb. 2023.
     www.world-mining-data.info/wmd/downloads/PDF/WMD2022.pdf.


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© Derrick Grose, 2023