DOST explores desalination technology to solve salt and water scarcity

Francis Xavier Q. Villamor

As an archipelago, the Philippines is graced with vast bodies of water. But despite this, Filipinos still experience water shortage, particularly during the summer season and El Nino. As the latter is once again expected to devastate the country this year, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is looking at desalination technology to address this problem and another—the dying local salt industry.

According to the DOST, they are exploring desalination technology to prepare the country amid El Nino. The department said that not only will it address depleting water supply, but also help revive the Philippines’ salt industry.

As the term suggests, desalination is a process of removing salt, along with other impurities, from water to make it suitable for human application. The technology is primarily categorized into membrane methods and distillation (thermal methods). 

Membrane-based methods are mainly used in the country. These techniques work by applying high pressure to force seawater into a semi-permeable membrane, allowing just clean, safe water to pass through.

Ninaliza H. Escoran, deputy executive director and officer in charge of the office of the executive director of the DoST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), said that what the agency is focusing on is improving the efficiency of the current local technologies.

“It’s more on the development of the membrane system that will really filter better and faster,” she said.

The effort comes in time as Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s major water supplier, once again continues to fall below 160-meter critical water level. But aside from replenishing the country’s demand for water, the development also aims to help revive the dying salt industry in the Philippines.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), around 83% of the salt distributed in the country is imported, highlighting the need for a local production boost. Because desalination produces salt as a byproduct, DOST is optimistic to hit two birds with a stone.

”The technology has two objectives: you’re getting water while also getting the salt,” Ms. Escorial stated.

Escorial pointed out that the technology is still under development, highlighting that Filipinos would need to wait two more years for it to be operational.

“As of now, all of our roadmaps will end in 2028. So hopefully by 2028, we have something useful already,” she said.