Philippines Launches New National Halal Logo
by Staff Report
The Philippines has launched its new national halal logo that will be used for halal products made in the country, its state news agency reported.
The chair of the Philippines Halal Board, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said its accreditation bureau will implement a special window to cater to halal certification bodies in the country, said the Philippine News Agency.
DTI secretary Ramon Lopez encouraged micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to explore opportunities in what he said was the “growing demand for halal-certified products”.
“I am optimistic that with greater collaboration between various sectors, we can support more MSMEs, encourage them to do and grow their businesses, and help us in developing more halal hubs in the country catering to domestic as well as export markets,” said Lopez.
Philippines has been intensifying its efforts to build a halal ecosystem since 2016.
The national halal certification scheme was launched last year by the Philippine Export Development and Promotion Board, and in February the Department of Science and Technology opened the Philippine National Halal Laboratory and Science Centre.
All certifying bodies and businesses seeking halal certification in the Philippines must meet the country’s new halal standards from August this year, Abdulgani Macatoman, the undersecretary at the DTI, told Salaam Gateway in April.
Philippines halal revenue in 2017 was 5.52 billion pesos ($106 million), or 8.73 percent of the country’s total exports valued at 63.23 billion pesos, according to the Export Development Council.
Its top halal export destinations are Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and UAE
Source: www.filipinotimes.net