Requirements for developing RP’s halal industry identified

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines — Creation of a national brand for halal products and formation of a single regulatory and certifying body are key to developing a halal industry that is capable of penetrating the $200-billion foreign market. Heads of at least six government line agencies in Central Mindanao made this assertion on Tuesday, among them the departments of Science and Technology, of Health, of Tourism and of Agriculture, as well as the National Economic and Development Authority. In a resolution, the officials said the development of a single Philippine halal brand, including logo, is of primary importance in promoting the credibility and maintaining quality standards of local halal products in order to be competitive in the world halal market. The officials also called on President Gloria M. Arroyo to form the Philippine Halal Regulatory Board and the Philippine Halal Advisory Council. "We are urging the President to issue Executive Orders that will put the development of the Philippine halal industry in its proper perspective, whereby all stake-holders and key players in the industry are expected to synergize and work together through complementation of efforts," said Zenaida P. Laidan, DoST-12 director and lead signatory of the resolution. She noted there is an urgent need for the government to establish such measures, citing the proliferation of halal food-certifying bodies and the use of halal logos that do not bear the name of issuing entities. There are about 50 halal-certifying bodies now operating in the country. Last January, a group of ulamas crafted the Philippine National Standards on Halal in Zamboanga City, where they also formed the Philippine Halal Accreditation Board. Ms. Laidan said the national halal standard adopted in Zamboanga was based on the guidelines developed by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which uses only one of the components of Malaysian halal standards and involved only the ulamas in its formulation. Calling for a review of the ulamas-initiated national halal standards, Ms. Laidan stressed the scientific and technical aspects must not be neglected but they must go hand-in-hand with the religious aspect. The accreditation board formed in Zamboanga prescribes appropriate processing, preparing and handling of food ingredients in accordance to Islamic laws and teaching. Tourism Secretary Joseph H. Durano has vowed to promote it to help the agency tap the global population of 1.9 billion Muslims as potential tourists. He added that an awareness campaign on the national halal guidelines would focus on restaurants, hotels, resorts, airlines, food and beverage companies, and other tourism stakeholders across the nation. The regional Science and Technology department is building a P50-million testing laboratory in this city, the regional seat of government in Central Mindanao, aimed at ensuring products comply with halal standards. — Romer S. Sarmiento, BusinessWorld