Gender Roles on Salt Farming Practices in Western Pangasinan

Abstract

Men and women have been compared and contrasted for years on many different topics and on different places. Today, regardless certain behaviors both can almost do the same activities. This study aimed to determine the gender roles on salt farming practices in Western Pangasinan , the benefits from salt farming and some problems encountered by the farmers. The study made use of the descriptive survey research design. Respondents were selected through simple random sampling technique employing questionnaires to collect the needed data. Frequency, percentage, average weighted mean and t-test were used for data analysis. A total of 132 respondents (73 males and 59 females) were interviewed from salt farms situated in Alaminos City, Dasol, Bani and BolinaoPangasinan. Results showed that 34.84% of the respondents are working in the farm for almost 11 to 15 years now, that aside from salt farming 25.75% go for fishing during rainy season.. Findings also revealed that male salt farmers (AWM=3.83) in Western Pangasinan conduct salt bed preparation more frequently than female (AWM=2.69) salt farmers. On the other hand, salt farming practices of the male (AWM=3.74) and female (AWM=2.89) salt farmers are not significantly different. Hence, male and female salt farmers in Western Pangasinan have similar salt farming practices. Most of the male and female salt farmers were benefited because they were able to send their children to their college/vocational education and they were able to deliver salt to other places and that some of them were able to put up a warehouse. It is therefore recommended that in order to have a continuous salt production a technology which help salt farmers will be created.