A major Muslim trade center set to rise in Taguig

A world-class trade hub showcasing Muslim art and culture will soon rise in Taguig City.

The local government in partnership with 30 million pesos worth of funds from the Kingdom of Bahrain will develop the Maharlika Trade Center, a multi-component commercial center.

The brand new commercial facility will serve as the central market for Muslim products in Metro Manila.

The main objective of this project is to build a model Muslim community to revitalize Maharlika, and turn it into a trade and tourism center.

The project intends to give livelihood opportunities to Muslim residents and improve not only the quality of their lives but also other Filipinos.

The trade center will showcase authentic Muslim products not only from Mindanao but from other Arab and Muslim countries ranging from textiles, crafts, spices, novelty items and all sort of goods. It will also serve as a venue for people to learn more on the Muslim arts and culture.

Another attraction of the Maharlika Trade Center are the restaurants which will only serve halal food and products. Halal is an Arabic word which means permitted or lawful. There are no restrictions on consumption or use of halal food.

The first phase of the project is the construction of the commercial building on a property donated by the National Housing Authority (NHA) to the city government. The commercial facility is expected to be completed in October this year.

The project fund will be directly handled by the United Nations Development Fund as stipulated in an agreement signed by the Philippines and Bahrain. (GNP)