SolAsin, a portable and sustainable salt farming unit using solar light, is the result of John Carlo Luna Reyes’ thesis SolAsin – An Accessible, Sustainable, and Eco-friendly Premium Salt Farming Unit for Coastal Use.
Reyes is a fresh graduate of the UP Diliman (UPD) College of Fine Arts (CFA), where he completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts (Industrial Design), magna cum laude, this year. His thesis adviser was Nina Elisa B. Constantino, an associate professor at CFA.
Through his research, Reyes aimed to assist in the revitalization of the country’s salt industry, particularly in Pangasinan, and to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for the province’s coastal communities.
“Ang SolAsin ay isang abot-kayang kasangkapan na nakakagawa ng asin sa dalampasigan. Hindi nangangailangan ng malawak na espasyo, at malaking pera upang simulan. Higit pa, flaky salt ang kayang gawin nito na may mataas na halaga sa merkado,” Reyes said in his Facebook account.
Pangasinan literally translates to “where salt is made,” Reyes explained in his Facebook account. Seeing the declining salt industry of his home province and the lack of income sources among the coastal communities inspired him to design a device that could help address this concern.
According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Philippines’ salt import from 2020 to 2025 ranges from 85% to 93%, which is alarming given the country’s long coastline.
This decline in local production has several causes, including extreme weather conditions, loss of salt farms to urbanization, lack of government support, and non-compliance with some regulations.
His innovative solution to salt farming recently won the national prize at the James Dyson Awards-Philippines. His research was selected as one of the 10 recipients of the James Dyson Foundation Prototyping Grant at UPD.
In his video entry uploaded to the James Dyson Award website, Reyes explained the process of designing SolAsin up to the process of harvesting the salt from the device.
“Through series of simulations and experiments with solar evaporation, I found a way to meet these conditions [high salinity and a controlled environment]. By molding black HDPE [high-density polyethylene] plastic into an angled, wavy form, it accelerates evaporation, forming salt that is remixed to make a high salinity brine deposit. This slowly forms into flaky and pyramid salt, facilitated by the controlled environment made by a greenhouse concept. Through shadowing, I designed an ergonomic setup and workflow, which reduces work-related injuries and makes production more efficient,” Reyes said.
In the video, Reyes said “SolAsin connects underserved communities with local hotels and restaurants that use finishing salts, fostering mutual growth and economic sustainability. Most importantly, it is eco-friendly, emits zero carbon emissions, and is non-disruptive.”
Reyes aims to develop a non-plastic material that is both durable and effective as a solar absorber. He also aims to produce enough devices to support local communities, in partnership with local government units and environmental management bureaus, to ensure legal and sustainable implementation.
To know more about SolAsin, visit: https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/en-PH/2025/project/solasin.