Salt processing innovation by DOST inventors. Handout

MANILA, Philippines – A team of Filipino inventors from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) created a 3-in-1 innovation that can crush, wash, and harvest salt as a means to modernize the traditional salt farming industry in the country.

University of the Philippines alumnus Oliver Evangelista, alongside project leader Director Dr. Annabelle Briones, recently spearheaded their team in presenting their innovation, the Continuous Screw-Type Salt Washer, in the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (IEIG) in Geneva, Switzerland from April 9 to 13, 2025.

Their innovation is a cost-efficient alternative to the current harvesting process of salt, reducing the average harvesting time by up to 50 percent.

It features a three-in-one Salt Crusher, Washer, and Harvester mechanism and works by streamlining salt purification through a fully mechanized process.

The team also consisted of researchers Raeyjan V. Marfal and Jayson B. Nuval, together with their consultant, Engr.  Quintillano M. Montevirgen.

After extensive laboratory and field testing,  the innovation is seen to improve the quality of high-purity salt production and address the contamination and inefficiencies in traditional salt farming.

Currently, the Philippines imports more than 90 percent of its salt supply despite having its own salt farming industry due to outdated production methods and strict iodization laws.

In the press release of Department of Science and Technology - Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), Briones explained, “We developed this technology to modernize salt purification while ensuring compliance with safety regulations. It is designed to benefit not only the Philippine salt industry but also producers in other coastal regions worldwide.”

According to the Philippine Association of Salt Industry Networks (Philasin) President Gerard Khonghun, the salt industry has been ‘plagued by obstacles in the last 3 decades’.

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With Republic Act No. 11985 or the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act supporting the modernization and industrialization of the Philippine salt industry, technology-based innovations such as those for the agriculture industry are among the projects geared to support the mandate for the sector.

According to the DOST, after securing its intellectual property protection in 2022, the innovation has gained a national accolade, besting the National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) in 2024.

“We are excited to showcase Filipino ingenuity on the world stage. This invention is not just for local use—we believe it has the potential to revolutionize salt processing in other countries as well,” Briones shared, eyeing its potential commercial use in the future.

Alongside their team, the Philippine delegation also featured geological and agricultural innovations at the international convention.