MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) pushed for the capability of Halal market be explored in the Philippines through its hands-on participation in the 8th World Halal Conference 2015 (WHC) and 11th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) on 31 March to 02 April 2015 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
DTI Undersecretary Prudencio M. Reyes Jr., also the Senior Official for Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), attended the three-day event to further study and explore the Halal Project.
“This is a great opportunity for the Philippines to enter the billion-dollar halal industry. Mindanao could be a potential producer of tuna, sardines, banana, coconut, fruits and most especially poultry and livestock products due to its advantage as bird flu and FMD free island in the country as well as in the BIMP-EAGA,” Reyes emphasized.
He said he also believes that tapping the Halal market will improve the tourist flow in the country since they will now have access to Halal food, a major concern for many Muslim visitors.
“This initiative is our way of opening Halal products and services to our Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao and other parts of the country,” Reyes concluded.
MIHAS is an internationally recognized exhibition of Halal products and services organized by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) while the WHC organized by the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) is a renowned annual conference hosting Halal in Unison.
Halal is an Arabic term meaning “permissible.” It most frequently refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic law, but halal encompasses non-food items such as cosmetics, banking and finance, logistics, etc. – BusinessNewsAsia.com