DTI eyeing mandatory registration of local halal certifying bodies

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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is planning to require local halal certifying firms to register with them, seeing it as a way to ensure quality standards as part of a broader strategy to improve the country’s halal industry.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said she wants this policy implemented as soon as possible, citing the need to improve the certification standards of these companies.

“We plan to implement it quickly. In fact, we are really, hopefully trying to get it (done) by January,” Roque told reporters during a recent media round table discussion in Makati.

READ: DTI establishes new halal development office

The trade chief said that there is a need to strengthen local certifying bodies so that the export products that go through them are accepted in overseas markets, such as the Middle East.

“They are not small-scale but they are not as thorough,” she said when asked what is lacking in them.

In 2023, the Philippines imported $120 million worth of halal products, showing the huge domestic demand for these kinds of goods.

In the same vein, the global halal trade is also estimated to have grown to $3.2 trillion by 2024, presenting another lucrative opportunity for local producers and exporters.

The government is banking on these opportunities, with the DTI announcing last December 17 the establishment of a national halal development office to boost the local halal market and expand its export potential.

Dubbed the National Halal Industry and Development Office (NHIDO), the government agency touted it as a landmark initiative designed to propel the Philippines to the forefront of the global halal industry by 2025.

The office aims to create a unified and robust halal industry by encouraging and integrating stakeholders’ participation.

The DTI said it will also act as the central coordinating body for all halal development efforts to streamline initiatives and foster collaboration.

One of the NHIDO’s key priorities is to simplify halal certification and standards, ensuring easier access for medium, small, and micro enterprises (MSMEs).