GIS mapping and status of salt production in the Municipality of Dumangas, Iloilo

Abstract

Salt is considered one of the commodities being used with greater importance throughout the world. Western Visayas, specifically the municipality of Dumangas, has committed to participating in nationwide initiatives aimed at boosting the production capacity of the salt sector and exploring prospects and avenues for its advancement. This research study is focused on the utilization of Geographic Information System (GIS) to create a digital map to locate various salt production locations within Dumangas, as well as to find out the status and pattern distribution, hence determining the average production capacity. A total of 18 salt producers from Dumangas participated in this study. The locations of the salt production were identified by geocoding addresses with the Geocamera application, processing photo metadata with Geosetter, defining boundaries on = Google Earth Pro, and analyzing and mapping geospatial data with GIS. The findings indicate that Dumangas has four barangays engaged in salt production, with three considered inactive based on the data gathered by the researcher. Only, Brgy. Lacturan remains active, producing 54 MT annually across 2.4 ha area of production. Moreover, an analysis of pattern distribution was conducted, revealing that salt production in Dumangas, Iloilo, exhibits a dispersed distribution. These findings can be used for science-based decisions for promoting the emerging salt industry in the province of Iloilo.