DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual welcomed the support from these two countries and acknowledged that much improvement is needed for the local halal industry.

Did you know that, according to the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report (GIE) 2022, the world’s 1.9 billion-strong Muslim population spent around $2 trillion (approximately PHP 110.96 trillion) in 2021 on halal goods and services?

This just goes to show that the halal industry is one that is lucrative and has a strong demand. Given this, it is no surprise that the governments of Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam have expressed their support towards the Philippines’ plans to develop its local halal industry. 

What Can Be Explored Within the Local Halal Industry

According to a report, Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino bin Anthony urged the Philippines to look closer at the halal ecosystem to see which areas need development. These include manufacturing, certification, and logistics. 

As for Brunei Darussalam, its ambassador, Megawati Dato Paduka Haji Manan, opened the possibility of a partnership between his country and the Philippines. According to the ambassador, the two Asian nations can partner in the areas of food and services, as well as pharmaceutical and healthcare tourism.

Moreover, Alfredo Pascual, the Department of Trade and Industry secretary, welcomed the support offered by the two ambassadors. He acknowledged the need to further improve the production of halal goods here in the country.

Business Opportunities for Interested Entrepreneurs

Many have the misconception that halal only involves halal food and other goods, given that “halal foods are those that are: made, produced, manufactured, processed, and stored using machinery, equipment, and/or utensils that have been cleaned according to Islamic law (shariah). [It is] free from any component that Muslims are prohibited from eating, according to Islamic law.“

However, the halal industry is actually more extensive than that.

By definition, the halal industry is one that is composed of “halal food, halal cosmetics, halal pharmaceuticals, Muslim-friendly tourism, halal logistics and supply chain, modest fashion, halal media and recreation, and other markets targeting to fulfill the needs of Muslim consumers.” This shows that halal has a rather wide scope that covers different sectors. 

Interested entrepreneurs looking to help develop the local halal industry can look at these different sectors for business opportunities. Entrepreneurs can consider adding halal products such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, to cater to the Muslim market, too. 

Muslim-friendly tourism can also be explored, especially as religion plays a huge role in our country’s culture and history. This can be explored specifically in Mindanao, where a large number of Muslim Filipinos reside.