Halal economy in Philippines experiencing notable growth

A priority project of the “National Development Plan 2023-2028” of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Administration, a holistic halal economy is expanding in the Philippines.

While in 2023 and 2024, the country was voted by the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index as the “Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year,” the Department of Tourism (DoT) posted a 9.8 per cent increase in tourist arrivals from Islamic and Muslim-populated countries, which was over 10 per cent of the total tourist arrivals of 5,949,350 in 2024. Emiratis ranked 12th.

This was from the presentation of the Philippines’ DoT Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar and from the interview with National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Director Saleha Pangarungan Sacar, in the UAE recently, for the 35th anniversary of the UAE-based Prime Group of Companies, which has been assisting businessmen in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, comply with all the international certification requirements of the global halal industry.

Meanwhile, Josh Mojica, a senior high school graduate from the Cavite Province south of Metro Manila and one of the individuals recognised at the “Prime Group Gala Night” told Gulf Today that having his kangkong (water spinach) snacks halal-certified is a no brainer.

“There is no reason for our company to be nag-iinarte (bratty) and not submit to the halal requirements. It is simply moving forward,” said Mojica.

He now owns and manages two halal-certified factories in his hometown, manpowered by 200 halal-certified employees for the local and international demand of the snacks that first became the sumptuous delight for his late maternal grandfather’s birthday a few years back.

The snacks became a viral sensation from December 2021 after 2022 presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson tweeted that he had ordered 500 packs from a high school student-turned kangkong entrepreneur whose inspiration was his maternal grandfather. Among his international chain of distributors are UAE-based Filipinos.

“I did not know the senator’s identity; until a huge van parked in front of our house to pick up the orders,” Mojica said, adding that his best achievement is not becoming a jobs generator but having his “hardworking single mommy” take her much-needed rest from back-breaking labour.

On the developments of Philippines’ halal economy, Director Sacar explained that NCMF, under the Office of the President, regulates all 12 halal certifying bodies in the Philippines which must guarantee that among employees of halal-certified business establishments are Muslims to make sure that halal business practices are enforced.

Bodies had estimated that for the global halal food segment alone, this would reach $2.11 billion (Dhs7,749,764,000.00) this year and expanded to $3.97 billion (Dhs14,581,333,600.00) in 2034.

Undersecretary Abubakar stated that with the “DoT’s more aggressive stand on Muslim friendly-tourism, the Mastercard-Crescent Rating awards have also given the Philippines a great promotion to our Muslim travelers looking for a new place to go to.”

“With the promotions set up in our Southeast Asian neighbours and our friends from the Middle East, we are projecting that visitors will steadily rise. As you see, it is not an exaggeration that the Philippines is becoming more a viable option and destination for our Muslim brothers and sisters,” said the former DoT-Zamboanga Peninsula regional director who has been pushing for the Halal Muslim-Friendly Tourism Mindanao Programme and doing so as well, by way of her Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth advocacy.

From the June 2024 “Halal in Travel Global Summit” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and as reported by the Philippine News Agency: “Among the non-Organisation of Islamic Countries destinations, the Philippines has steadily increased its appeal to Muslim tourists by strategically developing their Halal Tourism portfolio, enhancing halal accreditation of hotels and restaurants, and conducting Halal awareness orientations. This effort builds on their achievement of winning the ‘Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year’ award in last year’s Halal in Travel Global Summit.”

According to Abubakar, one of the exciting projects DoT undertook was the December 2023 “Bismillah: Faith, Love and Flavours of Mindanao.” It was a showcase that there was only a dearth on the knowledge Muslim-Filipino-friendly cuisine. Diplomatic Corps members who savoured “classic Muslim Mindanaoan dishes, reinvented into fine dining,” even went to visit Mindanao thereafter.

Programmes to further spike Muslim-friendly interest in the Philippines such as trade exhibitions and shows have been pipelined for 2025.

Islam was introduced in what used to be a pagan archipelago by Arab Sheikh Karimul Makdhum particularly in Sulu, in the 1300s before Spain conquered it by way of Roman Catholicism in the 1500s. Today, there are 7.6 million (6.5 per cent) Muslims, 9.7 million (8.3 per cent) Catholics and other faiths), and 6.6 million (5.8 per cent) Christians of the 116,500,000 Philippines population.