Stall owners tend to their stalls as guests sample different Muslim delicacies at the Manila Halal Food Festival, held at the Bonifacio Shrine in Manila. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- The Marcos administration is looking to attract up to P230 billion worth of investments in the Philippines' halal industry as part of its plan to make the country a “halal-friendly hub” for the entire Asia-Pacific region, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Thursday.

The government also hopes to create up to 120,000 jobs in the next four years in this industry, the DTI said.  

Manufactured in keeping with Islam's Sharia law, halal certified products do not contain traces of pork, alcohol or blood.

Aleem Siddiqui Guiapal, Program Manager of the DTI’s Halal Industry Development, said the government recently unveiled its Philippine Halal Industry Development Strategic Plan.

The program aims to make the Philippines “a collaborative, customer-centric, competitive halal gateway destination” and a pillar of the growing global $7.3 trillion industry by 2025.

“Iyong mga mabentang produkto mostly from the Philippines that we export are agri products. We also wanted to venture into the manufacturing side – iyong mga processed foods," Guiapal said.

"We already have around… humigit-kumulang 3,000; and the progressive percentage na gusto nating ma-improve every year is 20 percent. So by 2028, we are targeting around 6,000 (halal-certified products),” he added.

(Among our products that sell abroad are our export agri products. We also wanted to venture into the manufacturing side – the processed food. We already have around...more than 3,000; and the progressive percentage that we want to improve every year is 20 percent. So by 2028, we are targeting around 6,000 halal-certified products.)  

“Sa production pa lang, preparation kailangan iyong mga fertilizers na ginagamit natin are healthy. So, it’s not just the presence of pork which is familiar sa atin na hindi talaga tini-take ng mga kababayan nating mga Muslim Filipino, but also the contaminants like chemicals that’s harmful to the body," he noted.

(As early as the production stage, we already need fertilizers that are healthy. So, it’s not just the presence of pork which is familiar to us as something Muslim Filipinos don't eat, but also the contaminants like chemicals that’s harmful to the body.)

Diplomats from Malaysia and Brunei previously expressed their support for the Philippines as the country looks to develop its halal industry.

Malaysia, Brunei back PH moves to develop its halal industry

Halal food takes center stage in Manila

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