The Development of the Halal Industry in the Philippines

HALAL commonly appears on the packaging of certain foods and in the logos of some organizations. In the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, the term Halal (also spelled Halal or halaal) refers to ingredients permitted under Islamic law. Certified Halal certification guarantees that a product, from preparation to packaging and handling, meets international standards. This has become a hallmark that a product meets Halal dietary requirements or satisfies the lifestyle of Halal consumers, as well as quality, cleanliness and health standards.

The Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) established the Philippine National Standard for Halal, providing general guidelines on product preparation and handling for the Halal food industry and serving as a basic requirement for the country's food and food trade. In addition, Republic Act 10817, the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act, was signed into law in 2016 to establish a comprehensive program for developing and promoting Halal exports.

The Philippines has about 11 million Muslims, accounting for 10% of the population. As more and more Filipinos become increasingly aware of their food and beverage choices, Halal-certified products have become a good option. With the growing number of Halal consumers in the global market, rising demand for Halal-certified products, and the potential of the Halal industry, many small and medium-sized enterprises are seeking Halal certification. Since tourism is an important part of the Philippine economy, the DTI is trying to encourage more of the roughly 145 million Muslim tourists from the Middle East and ASEAN to visit the Philippines.

Today, the Philippines needs more HALAL certification bodies, whose function is to inspect, audit and certify food, non-food products, organizations and services. This number is expected to increase as the DTI begins to promote it, especially in the Mindanao region. Securing HALAL certification requires meeting certain requirements set by the HALAL certification body, such as:

a) Submission of a letter of intent, a completed application form (usually downloadable from the HALAL certifier's website) and supporting documents;

b) Document evaluation;

c) Audit/visual inspection;

d) Audit inspection report;

e) Submission of sample products for analysis;

f) Final report and recommendations;

g) Payment of applicable fees (certification/service fees, laboratory fees); and

h) Issuance of the HALAL certificate/HALAL mark.