Local gov’ts urged to sanction firms faking halal certificationhal

DAVAO CITY—An official of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) has asked local governments to penalize establishments founds to be faking their halal certification.

Samsi SM. Buat, the cultural division chief of the NCMF in Davao region, said ordinances will be needed as national laws on halal do not carry penalty clauses against those establishments that falsely claim they offer halal products or services.

Halal is an Islamic concept that connotes that a product or service is free of impurities and can be consumed by Muslims.

There are an estimated 6 million Muslims in the country, with the largest concentrations in Mindanao and Metro Manila.

Republic Act No. 10817, or the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program Act of 2016, promotes the production of halal goods for international markets and for Muslims in the country. The same law orders businesses that want their products or services to be certified as halal to secure the certification from bodies accredited by the NCMF.

Despite the law that emphasizes accreditation for halal offerings, some establishments use only the Arabic word to lure unsuspecting customers, said Buat.

Harmonize rates

Buat added there is also a need to look into harmonizing the rates of halal certification, as some establishments have complained that it is hard to secure halal certification because of prohibitive rates.

There is no uniform rate for halal certifications as they are done by private agencies accredited by the NCMF.

But Arturo Milan, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president for Mindanao, said businesses must not think of securing the certification as an expense, but as an investment. INQ