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THE PHILIPPINES and Brunei have agreed to continue sharing expertise on the production of halal products, Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said late Tuesday.

In a statement, the lawmaker said he met with Brunei Ambassador to the Philippines Megawati Manan on Tuesday to discuss measures to improve the country’s halal certification system and make it more accessible to Muslim Filipinos.

“While Halal products have increasingly become popular among Filipinos due to the growing awareness that these are safe, healthy and high quality and not just as products which fulfill the religious requirements of Muslim consumers, there is a need to harmonize Philippine government agencies’ halal certification system,” Mr. Zubiri said.

He added that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) could also become Brunei’s partner in rice production.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Aug. 10 signed a deal with the Bangsamoro region to promote Halal business in the region.

Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said during the signing ceremony the Philippines should explore opportunities in the $2.3-trillion (P131 trillion) global halal food industry, which is expected to grow by about 50% to $3.4 trillion next year.

Acquiring “even a tiny bit of this cake” would still greatly contribute to Philippine economic recovery and growth, the Trade chief said.

The DTI in April said halal products would expand opportunities for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

Last month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. discussed boosting Philippine-Malaysia ties in the halal industry with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

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