Phl readies roadmap for halal industry dev’t

The Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board, which is composed of nine government agencies led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is set to unveil next month the comprehensive Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Strategic Road Map.

The strategic road map includes the Philippine National Halal Certification Scheme and the Accreditation Guidelines, two of the most important components for the country to be recognized as a major player in the global halal ecosystem.

The halal board said there is a need for the Philippine standard-setting bodies such as the DTI, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health to develop the necessary standards for the local industry to be recognized in the global halal ecosystem.

“With the first Philippine National Halal Conference, we are eyeing heightened collaboration among key stakeholders and institutions that will work together in the promotion and development of the Philippine halal exports sector,” DTI Assistant Secretary Abdulgani Macatoman said.

In April last year, the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam signed a memorandum of understanding on the halal industry, and its export development and promotion.

The Philippines also signed a membership with the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) in December 2017.

IHAF is an independent, non-government network of accreditation entities that are mandated to enforce halal standards in their countries and territories.

The Philippine affiliation to IHAF is expected to pave the way for the entry and acceptance of Philippine halal-certified products to the member markets of the organization.

A similar instrument was forged between the Philippine Accreditation Bureau of the DTI and the United Arab Emirates Standardization and Metrology Authority of the UAE government on mutual recognition for Halal accreditation last February in Dubai.

Halal is used in relation to food and other consumer goods that have undergone certification as permissible for consumption and use by Muslims.

The government seeks to increase the country’s exports of halal products to $1.4 billion this year from its average of about $800 million annually in the previous years.

The country will hold the first-ever National Halal Conference on May 2 and 3 in Davao City.

Over 350 participants composed of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises with halal-certified products and services, representative from government agencies, Philippine halal certification bodies, academe, Muslim and interested non-Muslim consumers, Muslim religious groups, civil society groups, and international major halal players are expected to attend the event.