THE Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board, composed of nine government agencies led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), will hold its first-ever Philippine National Halal Conference on May 2 to 3 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City.
With the theme: “Towards Making the Philippines Respectable Player in the Global Halal Ecosystem”, the conference will feature the unveiling of the comprehensive Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Strategic Road Map, a result of a series of talks and extensive work collaborations among all major stakeholders concluded last year.
Universal Islamic Center president and Halal spokesperson Marilou Ampuan said the strategic road map includes the launch of the approved Philippine National Halal Certification Scheme and the Accreditation Guidelines, two of the most important components of halal in the quest to be recognized as a major player in the global halal ecosystem.
"The DTI is now mandated as chairperson of the Halal in our country. Hopefully, they will able to release the National Halal Standard Scheme. On the part of the Universal Islamic Center, we are happy with this advocacy with the support of the national and regional government," Ampuan said.
The Halal Export Board earlier underscored the need for Philippine standard-setting bodies, such as DTI, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Health, to develop the necessary standards for Philippine halal to be recognized in the global halal ecosystem.
Ampuan said the conference will gather around 400 to 500 halal global players to share their experiences and best practices in establishing a respectable and sustainable Halal ecosystem in their respective countries. Speakers will come from Dubai and Malaysia, among others.
The conference also aims to identify from among Muslim scholars one resource person who will perform the religious components necessary to strengthen the Philippines' integrity for halal.