ANCIENT Salt Rock in the Philippines (Tultul in Guimaras)

Summary

Tultul, a unique black salt, is a cherished tradition in Guimaras, Philippines. Made from driftwood ash and coconut milk, it's crafted by locals like 63-year-old Shirley Padohinog, preserving a legacy passed down through generations. Despite challenges like oil spills and COVID-19, the community strives to keep the craft alive, with hopes of a revival through a bill to boost the Philippine salt industry.

Takeaways

• 🧂 Tultul is a unique type of black salt found only in Guimaras, Philippines.
• 👵 Shirley Padohinog, known as 'Nenen,' is a 63-year-old woman who cooks Tultul and continues the tradition passed down from her grandfather and father.
• 🌊 Tultul is made using a tedious process that involves cooking salt with coconut milk and other natural ingredients.
• 🔥 The process includes burning driftwood soaked in saltwater to create ash, which is then used to produce the salt.
• 💧 Seawater is mixed with the ash and strained multiple times to create a concentrated brine.
• 🥥 Coconut milk is added to the strained water and cooked until the moisture evaporates, leaving behind solid salt.
• 🏭 The production of Tultul faced challenges due to environmental incidents like oil spills and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 🚫 The community had to temporarily stop making Tultul due to the oil spill and other environmental issues, affecting their livelihood.
• 🐟 In the absence of Tultul production, community members turned to fishing and other means to support themselves.
• 📈 There is a push to revive the Philippine salt industry, with a bill approved in September 2023 that could provide support to salt makers like Nenen.
• 🌐 The script encourages honoring and supporting traditional salt makers and their crafts to help preserve their culture and industry.

Q & A

What is Tultul?

Tultul is a unique type of black salt found exclusively in Guimaras, specifically in Barangay Hoskyn, Jordan.

What is the significance of Tultul in the community?

Tultul is a long-standing tradition in the community and is part of their culture. It is also a means of livelihood for some families.

How is Tultul different from regular salt?

Tultul has a distinct taste due to its mixture with coconut milk, giving it a unique flavor compared to regular salt.

Who is Shirley Padohinog and what is her role in making Tultul?

Shirley Padohinog, also known as 'Nenen', is a 63-year-old woman who cooks Tultul. She learned the process from her father and grandfather and continues the tradition.

What is the process of making Tultul?

The process involves gathering 'dagsa', an assortment of driftwood soaked in saltwater, burning it, and then mixing the ash with seawater. The mixture is strained and concentrated by repeatedly adding seawater. Coconut milk is added to the strained water, which is then cooked until it solidifies into lumps of salt.

What is the importance of the 'kaing' in the Tultul-making process?

The 'kaing', or basket, is used to hold the ash from the burned driftwood. Seawater is poured into the basket, and the strained water is collected to create a concentrated brine for making Tultul.

What challenges have the Tultul makers faced?

The Tultul makers faced challenges such as oil spills, power barge incidents, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected their ability to make Tultul for several years.

How does the community support the Tultul makers?

The community supports the Tultul makers by trading scraps, fishing, and learning the tradition to ensure its continuation.

What is the significance of the priority bill approved on September 11, 2023, for the Tultul makers?

The priority bill aims to revive the Philippine salt industry, which could provide a legal and economic boost to the Tultul makers and their tradition.

Why is it important to maintain the tradition of making Tultul?

Maintaining the tradition of making Tultul is important to preserve the culture and provide a unique product that is part of the country's heritage.

What is the hope for the future of Tultul?

The hope for the future of Tultul is that it becomes more recognized and reaches other countries, providing a sustainable livelihood for the artisans and preserving their traditional craft.