‘Halal-Friendly Philippines’ campaign looks to tap Asean, GCC countries

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is strongly banking on its ‘Halal-Friendly Philippines’ campaign to foster robust collaboration with its international partners and enhance the country’s presence in the Southeast Asia and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) regions, an official has said.Aleem Siddiqui M Guiapal, the Director and Programme Manager of the DTI’s Halal Industry Development and Trade Office, emphasised that ‘Halal-Friendly Philippines’ is a new brand campaign that is part of the DTI’s comprehensive strategy to enhance and develop the country’s halal industry.To achieve this, Guiapal said, the new brand campaign is being supported by a comprehensive collaboration of multiple government agencies comprising the DTI, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (The Central Bank of the Philippines), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and other halal certification bodies."Halal-Friendly Philippines is more than a brand campaign - it is about building relationships and strengthening our presence in the Asean and GCC countries,” Guiapal stressed.Guiapal pointed out that the DTI has been venturing out to foreign shores to showcase the Philippines’ burgeoning halal sector and to promote the industry’s vast investment potential by participating in various international exhibitions.Last May, the Philippines debuted at the ‘Halal Expo Canada’, said Guiapal, who added that the country’s most recent milestone was participating in the recently-held Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, touted as the "world’s largest halal exhibition.On the sidelines of MIHAS 2024, Guiapal told Gulf Times that Qatar is a "promising market” for the Philippines’ halal export products. According to Guiapal, the country is set to expand its halal product exports by 20% in 2024, building on the current 3,000 halal-certified products already available in various international markets.Qatar is among the GCC countries being eyed by the DTI for a planned halal roadshow in 2025. This year, the DTI is expected to promote the Philippines’ halal products in Saudi Arabia and the UAE."These roadshows provide opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines to access international markets, which not only increases the presence of our halal export products but contributes to the growth of the country’s trade with other countries,” Guiapal said.To tap GCC markets like the UAE, Guiapal said he met with Rajmal Rafeeque, country manager for LuLu Hypermarket’s Philippines operations, to explore opportunities for local halal producers and MSMEs to expand their reach internationally."The Philippines has been setting certain milestones in the halal sector. The country is the winner of the ‘Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year for Non-OlC’ and ranked seventh in the ‘Top 20 Non-OIC Destinations’ in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI)."The country registered half a million Islamic tourists in 2023. Currently, the Philippines has 237 Muslim-friendly restaurants and 28 Muslim-friendly establishments, as well as 17 recognised halal and organic agriculture enterprises. P5mn worth of animals are for distribution in areas covered by the halal multiplier farms,” Guiapal emphasised.