Halal industry up for discussion in 5th ARMM Business Congress in Basilan
text HADER GLANG

Businessmen in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have piloted the production of Halal poultry that will be exported to the Middle East, said an official of the Autonomous Basilan Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The matter will come up for discussion when around 300 key business and industry leaders in the ARMM, investors, policy makers and government executives hold the 5th ARMM Business Congress in Lamitan, Basilan on June 26-27.

Halal is a Quranic term, which refers to foods that are permissible to Muslims for consumption in accordance with Islamic laws.

Muslimin Jann Jakilan, president of the Basilan-based Islamic chamber, believes Halal is a big industry and has a huge potential in the ARMM that businessmen in the country should partake or take advantage.

“That’s why we are now piloting the production of poultry. Hopefully other industries like the fish sector, beef and others will come in because this (Halal) will help boost our economy,” Jakilan said.

Jakilan noted that during Hajj, the Halal industry in Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern countries is almost monopolized, saying that around 80% to 90% of the Halal products sold in the oil-rich Arab nations come from one country. He did not elaborate.

The delegates in the business congress are expected to finalize the establishment of a Halal certification scheme in the ARMM and its technical facilities. They are also likely to discuss trade prospects, especially that of exporting Halal foods.

Halal certification is the process whereby products are declared or verified as suitable for Muslim consumption. It is direly needed in the ARMM since all food products from the country cannot enter the "Halal" markets of the Middle East and Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Marlon Libut, a representative from the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) program, said right now they are positioning the areas of ARMM as far as having the capacity in producing Halal food with a credible certifying body.

Libut disclosed that there is already a Supreme Court ruling, which states that the Halal certification is a religious action and not a government function to provide Halal certification.

“At the moment, the whole agenda is that we wanted to consolidate then develop and install a one certifying agency or body composed of the private sector and the religious group,” he said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2004-2010 Medium Term Development Plan has envisioned ARMM to be the Halal-based food production center of the country.

The Philippines, through the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) has been working for the accreditation of domestic halal certifiers to open more markets for the country’s exporters, especially in the lucrative halal markets in the Middle East.

Noting the huge potential market for halal products, the department has been working for the accreditation of Philippine halal certifiers, who will supervise and verify the compliance of Philippine exports to halal rules.

The global market for halal is about $150 billion, which is mainly boosted by the growing economies of Muslim countries, expanding population, and increasing importance of restaurant and hotel sectors particularly in the UAE.

It is estimated that the 1.8 billion Muslim consumer base spreads over 112 countries, with 400 million in located in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. (ZS)