Tourism office to hold 1st Halal food handling seminar

THE regional office of the Department of Tourism is inviting hotel and restaurant managers and chefs to attend the series of seminars and workshops on the preparation and handling of halal food.

The first of a series of seminars and workshops is on September 17, Monday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marlim Mansions Hotel, Diamond Subdivision, Balibago, Angeles City.

Regional director Ronaldo Tiotuico said the seminar aims to equip tourism stakeholders in food service and hospitality industry with the basic working knowledge on the general guidelines in the preparation and handling of halal food and at the same time prepare the industry for an anticipated exponential increase in visitor arrivals from generally muslim countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Middle East via Clark international airport.

Also, the tourism department is taking part in the national effort to develop the halal industry as a potential growth area for development due to the increasing presence of Muslim-Filipinos in this part of the region, Tiotuico said. 

According to the general guidelines prepared by the Asean Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry, Halal food or Muslim Food, is a food that does not contain ingredients of animals that are unlawful to Shariah Law.

Guest speaker Adam Idrus Bunajos, a Muslim chef and restaurant operations manager from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, volunteered his services and expertise by providing some basic guidelines on the subject at hand.

A registration fee of P400 per participant will be required to cover the cost of an early lunch plus certificate of attendance. Handouts will be sent through email.

The project is jointly sponsored by the Hotel and Restaurants in Pampanga (Harp) led by its president Susan Manansala of Euroasia Hotel and the Angeles City Tourism Office led by the City Tourism Officer Christine Nunag.

Interested participants are advised to text their full name and establishment to our mobile numbers: 0939-904-5231 (Smart) or 0917-506-2221 (Globe). Registration is on first-come-first-serve basis. Priority shall be granted to DOT-accredited establishments. (Rey Navales)