NOW that Cebu is opening its gates to more tourists with the operation of Terminal 2 this June, a top official of a low-cost carrier urged local tourism stakeholders to go big on Halal food tourism.
AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Dexter Comendador believes Cebu could lead the country’s tourism sector in offering Filipino-Halal food and attracting more foreign tourists from Muslim-dominated countries.
“If we want to capture the big Southeast Asian market, the Philippines should go big on Halal, and food is the best way to attract this market,” said Comendador.
Forty percent of Southeast Asia’s population is Muslim.
Comendador said that while the Philippines is already attracting tourists from the region, the rise of guests from Muslim-dominated countries is not that significant because of food issues.
“The feedback we got from the Indonesian Embassy is that guests have difficulty finding Halal food here,” he said.
Indonesian visitors to the Philippines stood at only 40,000 despite the country having a population of over 260 million.
Comendador suggests the country could make a Halal version of its signature dishes such as pinakbet, tinola, adobo, and kare-kare, among others.
Halal is an Islamic value and has a direct impact on how products are produced, processed, distributed, stored, sold and consumed.
If the product is Halal-certified, that means it is compliant with Sharia law.
The industry spans sectors such as food processing, food service, cosmetics, personal care, pharmaceuticals and logistics industries. Other related industries include travel and hospitality services.
The AirAsia official said Cebu could follow Japan’s successful implementation of programs for Halal for eight years now, which saw Muslim tourists grow over 300 percent.
“If it can be done in Japan, it can also be done here,” said Comendador.
During the sixth Halal Export Board meeting held on March 21 this year, the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board emphasized the need for the Philippine standard-setting bodies such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health to develop the necessary standards for Philippine Halal to be recognized in the global Halal ecosystem.
“With the first Philippine National Halal Conference, we are eyeing heightened collaboration among key stakeholders and institutions that will work together in the promotion and development of the Philippine Halal exports sector,” said DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Assistant Secretary Abdulgani Macatoman, in a statement.
The board, composed of nine government agencies led by the DTI, is set to unveil the comprehensive Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Strategic Road Map this month.