Philippine Halal-Certified Food Products Set to Steal the Spotlight at Gulfood 2023

A delegation of 18 Philippine companies will showcase premium halal-certified food products through a country exhibit at the Gulf Food Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire, or Gulfood, to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates from February 20 to 24, 2023.

Led by the Center of International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Philippines’ hybrid participation will consist of manufacturers and exporters of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables; processed marine products; ethnic and gourmet products; non-alcoholic beverages; confectionary, biscuits, and pastries; and other food and beverage categories.

The Philippine participation will highlight small and medium enterprises (MSEs) with halal certification and high-value and innovative products under the banner of the country's collective food promotion program, FOODPhilippines.

CITEM seeks to strengthen the Philippines’ presence in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region through its participation in Gulfood. Gulfood is a renowned international platform dedicated to food and beverage processing in the MEA, attracting more than 98,000 key industry players and decision-makers and over 5,000 exhibitors yearly. As one of the world's largest food and beverage trade exhibitions, Gulfood is instrumental in expanding the Philippines’ market share in the global halal trade.

Banana, one of the Philippines' top food exports, is among the products and ingredients that will be showcased in the Philippine pavilion.

“We want to position the Philippines as a reliable source of fresh, healthy, and natural food products and ingredients to match the trend toward healthier and more sustainable diets. The Philippines' participation in Gulfood 2023 is extremely strategic because the MEA region is one of the biggest markets for halal food, which often overlaps with organic and plant-based food," said Trade Promotions Group (TPG) Assistant Secretary Glenn G. Peñaranda.

Gulfood offers opportunities for Philippine exhibitors to connect with new buyers and expand their markets.

The UAE remains an attractive market for Philippine produce and goods as food exports to the country have remained steady amid the pandemic, according to the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Dubai. It is also the most important import market for halal products in the Middle East along with Saudi Arabia.

“The Philippines' participation in Gulfood is critical to increasing our share of the halal food market. Because of the large population of Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates, there's also a growing demand for Filipino food products. We are confident that this year's participation will yield positive results and aid in the mainstreaming of Philippine food products and ingredients in the long run,” said Dr. Edward L. Fereira, Ph. D., CITEM Executive Director.

The country’s participation in Gulfood 2023 will benefit from the agency’s updated lead generation and digital promotion platforms for the food industry. This year, CITEM aims to enhance the country’s hybrid participation by providing a “365 sourcing experience” with a strategic combination of physical and digital components.

The Philippine pavilion will be located at booths R152 and R174 of the Sheikh Rashid Hall. The Philippines' hybrid participation is organized by the Department of Trade and Industry’s export promotion arm, CITEM, in partnership with PTIC-Dubai.

More products from Philippine Gulfood exhibitors, as well as hundreds of other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), will be showcased at IFEX Philippines, which will be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City, Philippines from May 26 to 28, 2023. You can also visit the exhibitors' digital storefronts at IFEXConnect.com or browse stories on the Philippines' rich food culture and culinary landscape at foodphilippines.com.

About CITEM

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is the export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

For nearly 40 years, CITEM has established the country’s image as a premier destination for quality export products and services. It continues to set the highest standards of creativity, excellence and innovation to achieve competitiveness in the home, fashion, lifestyle, food, creative, and sustainability sectors.

CITEM is committed to developing, nurturing, and promoting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), brands, designers, and manufacturers by implementing an integrated approach to export marketing in partnership with other government and private entities.

About FOODPhilippines

FOODPhilippines promotes the country as a source of quality food products and ingredients in physical and/or digital trade shows and business-to-business platforms in priority markets around the world.

Under the FOODPhilippines banner, the Philippines is positioned as an exporter of healthy, organic, natural, and specialty food products and services.

Halal Board to Unveil 1st PH Halal Export Develepment and Promotion Road Map

THE Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board, composed of nine government agencies led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is set to unveil the comprehensive Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Strategic Road Map as it holds the first-ever Philippine National Halal Conference on May 2 and 3 in Davao City with the theme “Towards Making the Philippines a Respectable Player in the Global Halal Ecosystem.”

The strategic road map includes the launch of the approved Philippine National Halal Certification Scheme and the Accreditation Guidelines, two of the most important components of the PH strategic roadmap for the Philippines to be recognized as a major player in the global halal ecosystem.

The conference will also gather some of the major Halal global players to share their experiences and best practices in establishing a respectable and sustainable Halal ecosystem in their respective countries through lecture sessions.

Also happening during the conference is the Assembly of the Philippine Muslim Religious Scholars, where information sessions and lectures on development of the Philippine halal export industry in line with the aspect of the Sharia or Islamic law will be conducted. 

According to DTI-EMB, as the Philippines opens its door for the global Halal market, it also widens its horizon as it pursues cooperation from the global halal community.

During the sixth Halal Export Board meeting held on March 21 this year, the Board emphasized the need for the Philippine standard-setting bodies, such as the DTI, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health to develop the necessary standards for Philippine Halal to be recognized in the global halal ecosystem.

“With the first Philippine National Halal Conference, we are eyeing heightened collaboration among key stakeholders and institutions that will work together in the promotion and development of the Philippine Halal exports sector,” said DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Assistant Secretary Abdulgani Macatoman.

In April last year, the Philippines, represented by DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, and Brunei Darussalam, represented by Pehin Dato Dr.  Mohammad Yasmin Umar, the minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Halal Industry and Halal Export Development and Promotion.

The Philippines also signed a membership with the International Halal Accreditation Forum in December 2017. IHAF is an independent, non-government network of accreditation entities that are mandated to enforce halal standards in their countries and territories. The Philippine affiliation to IHAF is expected to pave the way for the entry and acceptance of Philippine halal-certified products to the member markets of the organization.

A similar instrument was forged between the Philippine Accreditation Bureau of the DTI and the United Arab Emirates Standardization and Metrology Authority of the UAE government on mutual recognition for Halal accreditation last February 2018 in Dubai.

Over 350 participants composed of Philippine micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with halal-certified products and services, including travel and tourism services sector; representative from government agencies; Philippine halal certification bodies; academe; Muslim and interested non-Muslim consumers; Muslim religious groups; concerned civil society groups; international major halal players; and other stakeholders are expected to attend the event.

DTI leads Halal Export Promotion and Dev’t

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as the lead agency in developing and promoting the Philippine halal industry, is set to implement initiatives toward the development of the country’s Halal exports highlighting its potential contribution in driving trade and investments in the country.

Speaking at the recent World Halal Assembly held in Manila last 18 and 19 January, DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Assistant Secretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman cited figures validating the need for the Philippines to get involved in halal export, import and production.

“Muslim population worldwide has been steadily growing at a 1.84 percent per annum. In 2016 Muslim population was at 2.14 billion, growing to 2.18 billion in 2017. At present, 32.43 percent of Asia’s current population of 1.4 billion is Muslim. In Africa, there are 635 million Muslims. World Muslim population translates to a $3.2- trillion halal industry worldwide. It is expected to increase to $10 trillion by 2030,” explained Assistant Secretary Macatoman.

He added, “the sheer size of underserved markets makes it easier to penetrate the industry. There are simply more people who need Halal products and services than there are existing businesses.”

At present, the Philippines only contributes five (5) percent of the global halal trade. With the new Philippine halal law in place, Assistant Secretary Macatoman explained that Filipino entrepreneurs are in the best position to take advantage of the rising halal industry worldwide. According to him, Filipino Muslims naturally understand what the global market wants and needs, being part of the market themselves.

“Filipino entrepreneurs like the ones based in Zamboanga are in a unique position to take advantage of this trend, particularly the efforts of the Zamboanga Ecozone and Freeport and Regional Economic Zone Authority of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Preparation of halal food and fashion pieces requires a great understanding and obedience to Muslim culture, and we Filipinos have a great grasp of this culture and unique practices,” said Assistant Secretary Macatoman.

Assistant Secretary Macatoman also emphasized the importance of having harmonious halal certification and accreditation policies and standards for the Philippines to improve its integrity and credibility both at the national and the international communities.

The DTI’s Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB)—as the sole agency mandated by the Philippine halal law to handle the accreditation of halal-certification bodies, inspection bodies and testing and calibration laboratories—is currently developing the national halal-certification scheme that will embody the official guidelines for the accreditation of all Philippine halal-certification bodies that wish to be accredited by the PAB.

Organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Region 11, the World Halal Assembly was in line with the DOST’s mandate under Republic Act 10817, known as the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program Act of 2016, which took effect after its implementing rules and regulations  were approved on July 26, 2017.

Islamic scholars, Muslim academicians and scientists, international certification bodies, government officials, entrepreneurs and Muslim and non-Muslim consumers were in attendance during the conference.

*This is Press Release