Trade dep’t launches Halal-certified logo

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it launched the official Philippine Halal logo, which will be used to identify all Halal products made in the country.

“We would like to see notable exports of our Halal products in the future. With this logo, our products can be identified easily by consumers as Halal-certified products,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez was quoted as saying in a statement Thursday at the National Halal Conference held in Clark on July 3.

The DTI said the current logo of Halal certification bodies will still be allowed.

Mr. Lopez said DTI’s accreditation bureau will also implement a special window to cater to Philippine Halal certification bodies.

Undersecretary for Trade Promotions Group and Special Concerns Abdulgani M. Macatoman has said the DTI is targeting to boost Philippine Halal exports by 6% to 8% every year on the back of growing demand.

Mr. Macatoman said export growth is driven by increasing demand from countries with a large Muslim populations as well as health-conscious consumers, who find Islamic dietary standards to be attractive.

The DTI estimates Halal exports in 2018 totaled $560 million.

Of this, 90% were food and non-alcoholic beverages, while the remaining volume consisted of personal care products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and detergents.

The markets for these products were the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Africa.

“We encourage our MSMEs, especially in the countryside, to develop their products, and explore the opportunities in the growing demand for Halal-certified products,” said Mr. Lopez.

“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,” the Trade chief added.

The DTI said the global Halal market is currently valued at $2.6 trillion, with 62% consisting of food and beverages followed by pharmaceuticals at 22%, cosmetics and personal care at 10% and nutraceuticals at 6%.

The global Halal market is estimated to hit $10 trillion by 2025, with the food and beverage segment expected to top $1.93 trillion by 2022. — Janina C. Lim