Halal is about life practices, not just dietary rules

Halal food by the chef of the Malaysian Ambassador —MARGAUX SALCEDO

Before anything else, I would like to greet all moms a Happy Mother’s Day!!!

My mom, Carmelita, was called back by the Lord in 2023 so I now join those who will greet mothers by way of prayer. For those of you who still have the privilege and pleasure of greeting your mom on earth and possibly in person, give your mom a tight hug today.

I would also like to greet all communicators out there a Happy World Communications Day! This was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 to encourage all to communicate the gospel through media. I am happy to share that last Friday, the Communication Foundation for Asia awarded Dominus Est—a Catholic platform for digital evangelization that I am part of—the Lagerway Award for Communication Excellence in Values Formation. Congratulations, Dominus Est! I hope this makes my mom in heaven proud!

In other news, I’d like to share notes from the delicious halal dinner I had recently, hosted by the Embassy of Malaysia at the Ambassador’s Residence. His Excellency Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, Malaysia’s Ambassador to the Philippines, is a strong supporter of the halal industry and gathered stakeholders for a delicious Eid al-Fitr dinner.

They served chicken rendang, chicken satay, daging masak hitam, or beef in black sauce, among other delicious halal items. They also served the viands with the most colorful rice pilaf.

I was enlightened by Deputy Head of Mission Mohd Fareed Zakaria that halal is not just about food, but about a whole lifestyle. “Anything can be halal,” he explained. “As long as the guidelines are followed.”

The guidelines include actions and behaviors that are considered permissible according to Islamic teachings. For example, the method of slaughtering animals for meat in Islam, known as Zabihah, must be followed; this is considered the most humane and purest way to slaughter animals for consumption.

READ: Gov’t readies halal industry dev’t strategy

He also emphasized that halal is not just for Muslims, but anyone can enjoy halal products. Also, while there are certification bodies to help identify what is halal, you can in fact create halal food at home without the need for certification.

The certification, though—which is considered the benchmark for food safety, quality assurance, and other standards that give importance to Muslims and non-Muslims alike—would help raise awareness on the availability of halal food.

Today, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos has been tasked to promote and develop the Philippine halal industry and accredit halal-certifying entities/bodies.

Last January, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) started the “Halal-Friendly Philippines” campaign to promote the Philippines as “the fastest-growing Halal hub in the Asia-Pacific region.”

They launched a four-year Philippine Halal Industry Development Strategic Plan in a ceremony held at the World Trade Center, which aims to tap into the economic potential of the halal industry that is poised to double domestic and international output by 2028.

READ: DTI, BARMM team up to boost halal industry

The halal strategic plan aims to (1) increase halal output for domestic consumption and exports by expanding and recognizing halal-certifying bodies; (2) launch a unified, whole-of-government national brand to promote the Philippines as the fastest-growing and most halal-friendly hub in the Asia-Pacific; (3) create a one-stop shop to link all stakeholders and ensure synchronized efforts; (4) develop a comprehensive halal value chain through regional development, institutionalized knowledge management, skills matching and upskilling, investment promotions and capacity building.

From around 3,000 current products, the goal is to achieve 6,000 halal-certified products to cater to the growing domestic and global halal demand. Hopefully, we can achieve this target output and effectively attract approximately P230 billion in investments as well as generate over 120,00 jobs over the next four years!

If we do, then we can say HALAL-ujah!

Here’s to a delicious Mother’s Day Sunday for all of you—with a halal menu or otherwise!

May all mothers be honored today and showered with love!