Asin tibuok listed in UNESCO's 'Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding'
The practice of making asin ibuok, a rare Filipino artisanal sea salt from the Boholano people, has now been included by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in their list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding."
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, this marks the first time that a traditional food process in the Philippines has been included in a UNESCO ICH list.
The list is composed of intangible heritage elements that concerned communities and States Parties consider require"urgent measures to keep them alive," per UNESCO.
Inscriptions on the list help to mobilize international cooperation and assistance for stakeholders to undertake appropriate safeguarding measures.
In its listing, asin tibuok is described to be a traditional type of sea salt made through a long and careful process amongst the Boholano of Bohol Island, in which the final product "looks like a white egg inside a brown shell."
"It is handmade using natural materials and traditional techniques that have been passed down through generations," the organization stated.
The process starts with collecting coconut husks and soaking them in seawater for months. These are then dried, burned, and mixed with seawater to create brine.
Then, the brine is poured into clay pots and heated over a strong fire until the salt gradually crystallizes. Once the salt solidifies, the pots are left to cool before the finished product is carefully removed.
UNESCO noted that making asin tibuok is a "physically demanding process that is usually done by men, though women are involved too, especially in cooking, cleaning and making the pots."
Moreover, the practice is usually a family activity, and the knowledge is passed down through hands-on learning, with children observing and helping their parents.
"Community groups have recently started to help document and protect the practice. For the practising communities, asin tibuok is a key part of daily life and food traditions. It supports livelihoods and plays a central role in gatherings and celebrations," the organization highlighted.
Among the last few family-owned producers of asin tibuok is Tan Inong Manufacturing, which is headed by siblings Nestor and Veron.
Immersing in the asin tibuok salt-making is one of the culturally rich activities being offered by the newly opened South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao - MGallery, which PhilSTAR L!fe had a chance to witness.
Nestor and Veron have been keeping the practice going since the 1960s, not for financial gain, but purely out of respect for the ancestors who bequeathed it to them.