FEB 24, 2016

NR # 4120B

Philippine Halal Export Development & Promotion Act nears enactment

The proposed institution of the Philippine Halal Export Development and
Promotion Program is just awaiting the signature of President Benigno Aquino III.
The House of Representatives adopted during the last week of January 2016 the
Senate version (SB 2831) of House Bill No 6347 (in substitution of the HB 137) originally
authored by Rep. Mark A. Villar with the sponsor House Committee on Agriculture and
Food Chairman Mark Llandro L. Mendoza as co-author.
The similar Senate version is entitled An Act instituting the Philippine Halal
Export development and Promotion Program, creating for the purpose the Philippine Halal
Export Development and Promotion Board and for other purposes, principally authored
by Senators Bong Revilla, Jr., Cynthia Villar, Antonio Trillanes and Miriam Defensor
Santiago.
The proposed Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of 2015
will promote the growth and ensure the integrity and quality of Philippine Halal products,
Chairman Mendoza and Rep. Villar stressed.
Halal (lawful) refers to food and other products for human consumption, and
services permitted under the Sahariah Law or Islamic law based on the Al-Quran, Alhadith (Traditions of the Messenger of Allah), Ijma (Consensus of Islamic Scholars) and
Qiyas (Legal Deduction or Analogy) according to the Shafei or anyone of the Hanafi,
Maliki or Hanbali Schools of Thought which have been practiced by countries where
these guidelines have been implemented.
Likewise, the proposed Halal statute will ensure compliance with international
standards of good manufacturing practices by instituting a Halal system for food, nonfood products and services, the authors pointed out.
The Act will also create the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion
Board which shall be the policy-making body on Halal export development and shall set
the overall direction for the implementation of the PHEDP program. The Board shall be
attached to the Department of Trade and Industry.
The Halal Board shall, among other powers and functions, direct and coordinate the
development and harmonization of Philippine National Standards for Halal by standardsetting agencies, and monitor, through the government regulatory agencies the application
thereof on products, processes and services.

The Halal Board shall be composed of the following: Secretary of Trade and
Industry as chairman; Secretary of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos as Vice
Chairman; and the members include: the Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture
and Food; Health; Science and Technology; Foreign Affairs; Tourism; the Governor of
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority; and
two (2) Muslim Filipino professionals from the Academe, Law, Industry, or food science
who have experience in Halal industry development to be appointed by the President from
at least four (4) nominees recommended by Muslim Filipino peoples organizations and
nongovernment organizations.
The development of Philippine National Standards for Halal (PNSH) shall be the
mandate of the following standard-setting agencies:
1) Department of Agriculture and Food Bureau or Agriculture and Fisheries
Standards for primary and post-harvest foods;
2) Department of Health Food and Drug Administration for processed and prepackaged foods, drugs and cosmetics; and
3) Department of Trade and Industry Bureau of Philippine Standards for nonfood products aside from drugs and cosmetics.
Under the Halal Act assistance will be extended to exporters in finding new markets
and expand existing markets for Philippine Halal products, processes and services.
Among other salient provisions, it will also provide/upgrade the necessary common
service facilities such as slaughterhouses, warehouses, refrigeration facilities and
laboratory facilities and equipment in strategic production, processing and manufacturing
areas. (30) dpt