DOST

EXPORTS of halal goods from the Muslim-majority Bangsamoro region are expected to expand with the licensing of more halal certification firms and initiatives to boost trade links with the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

Prime Certification and Inspection (PC&I) Asia Pacific, Inc., whose parent company is headquartered in Dubai, officially received its certification of registration on Feb. 3 from the Regional Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBoI), along with four other companies.

“The five companies, upon receiving this certificate of registration can fully be operational with their own respective ventures and will automatically enjoy fiscal incentives provided for by the Regional BBoI,” Ishak V. Mastura, the board’s chairman, said in a statement.

PC&I will provide halal accreditation for export products, particularly those bound for the Middle East, the agency said. 

For BIMP-EAGA, which covers areas with largely Muslim populations, the Bangsamoro Economic Development Council (BEDC) recently created a committee that will focus on strengthening ties with the four-nation economic grouping.

EAGA, formally established in 1994, is composed of Brunei Darussalam; Indonesia’s Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua provinces; Malaysia’s Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan; and the Philippine regions of Mindanao and Palawan.

Director-General Rosslainie Alonto-Sinarimbo of the Bangsamoro Ministry of Trade, Investment, and Tourism said the sub-committee formed in December will be working closely with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), which serves as the Philippine’s lead agency for EAGA programs.

“(T)he sub-committee will truly sustain our engagement with MinDA and the BIMP-EAGA counterparts for the region’s sustainable economic growth,” Ms. Sinarimbo said during the 1st Regular Meeting of the BEDC’s Economic Development Committee in mid-January.

MinDA Development Management Officer Amhed Jeoffrey Datukan said during the meeting that one of the steps recently taken was a partnership with the Bangsamoro Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) for the development of the halal beef sector, among others.

“MinDA forged an engagement with BARMM-MAFAR on the development of halal beef production industry, assist the Mindanao Barter Trade Council, and implement other several ongoing priorities that BARMM could take advantage of,” Mr. Datukan said.

The Bangsamoro region’s halal verification laboratory was renovated and upgraded last year for P47 million.

The facility, which has been fitted with new equipment, can do analysis for ethanol, gelatin, pesticide residue, minerals and heavy metals in food and water, and meat and meat-based products.

The global halal market, which was estimated at around $3 trillion in 2021, is expected to grow to $10 trillion in the next few years, according to the national government’s Department of Trade and Industry.

Halal, the Arabic word for permissible, refers to goods and services that conform to Islamic law and practices. — Marifi S. Jara

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