D.O.S.T.-supported halal center buildingset to open

In Photo: DOST Soccsksargen RegionalDirector Dr. Zenaida P. Hadji Raof Laidan

“To halal or not to halal,” with apologiesto the Bard, that is the question in the global trade of Muslim food products.

 

At the center of the question is anestimated 1.8 billion Muslim population as of 2015, while the global market forhalal foods reached $1.4 trillion in 2017.

 

If you were a food manufacturer, you wouldbe crazy to not put your mind and wallet in the consistently ballooning tradeof halal foods across the world. This is considering that nonfood products,such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, are not yet included in the equation.

 

Statista.com cited a report putting themarket value of halal foods worldwide, predicting that the Muslim-friendly foodproducts will climb to $2.6 trillion in 2023.

 

Science for halal products

 

One good thing for the fledgling Philippinehalal industry is that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) ispromoting halal food through various initiatives.

 

Science Secretery Fortunato T. de la Pe?a,in a text message to the BusinessMirror, said: “We support the entire HalalProgram led by the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry]. The DOST takes careof providing the facilities and laboratory test service to make sure that thefood or product is free from components not acceptable for halal, like porcineand alcohol.”

 

The DOST, he said, now has threeoperational laboratories for halal forensic, meaning verification and testing,of products.

 

De la Pe?a was referring to the HalalLaboratories of DOST-Soccsksargen under Regional Director Dr. Hadja ShaymaZenaida P. Hadji Raof Laidan; DOST-Davao Region under Regional Director Dr.Anthony Sales; and DOST Calabarzon with Regional Director Alexander Madrigal,in their respective turfs in Davao City, Cotabato City and in Laguna.

 

De la Pe?a said each of the laboratorycosts around P37 million, excluding the building where they are housed.

 

“We have trained technical staff. We alsoimplement R&D [research and development] projects to develop new products.Other than food, there are health-care products and even cosmetics that shouldbe halal,” he pointed out.

 

The DOST leader said the agency has aP100-million budget for research and training components.

 

‘Queen of halal in Asia’

 

In a related development, Laidan, becauseof her strong support and work to scale up the country’s halal industry, earnedthe honorary title “Queen of halal in Asia” during the January 2018 World HalalAssembly in Manila that was organized by DOST-Soccsksargen.

 

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Mufti Mustafa Ceric,one of the experts and speakers during the event, conferred Laidan the titlefor her untiring effort to push forward the Philippine halal industry.

 

Apparently, Ceric recognized theDOST-Soccsksargen’s regional director’s various initiatives. Among them are herprojects to establish a new and modern halal center in Koronadal City, SouthCotabato; the halal laboratory in Cotabato City; the holding of internationalconferences on halal products and attending and participating in fora abroad,among others.

 

Barring any unforeseen events, theDOST-Soccsksargen will inaugurate in October or November what Laidan said “willbe known as Philippine National Laboratory and Science Center Building [inKoronadal City] that will house [DOST-Soccsksargen’s] Philippine HalalLaboratory.”

 

“This will serve as a one-stop shop forhalal. Before its completion, we already have an existing laboratory inCotabato City operating since 2010. So, this will be strengthened if we canalready transfer to Koronadal,” she added.

 

She cited the strategic location of the newhalal laboratory, saying it is near big companies in the cities of GeneralSantos and Davao, and international airports.

 

Attract foreign biz

 

Laidan hastened to add that the laboratorywould provide halal services not only to local and national companies but alsoto international businesses. It seems it is working this early.

 

“Foreign companies are already contactingus, asking if they can come to see our building,” she revealed.

 

At present, she said DOST-Soccsksargenalready has existing basic equipment to address the halal industry, but theyplan to upgrade, thereby the need for its inclusion in the budget proposal for2019.

 

“We will also try to enlist assistance fromother entities,” Laidan said, not discounting potential assistance from theOrganization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

 

Seal of quality

 

It can be recalled that DOST launched in2015 the DOST-Soccsksargen’s Halal Logo, its Seal of Quality, which isinternationally recognized, thus eliminating technical barriers in trading andexport.

 

The process of halal certification, sheemphasized, not only has a religious aspect but also includes scientificprocess to determine a product’s “halalness.”

 

For its Halal Logo, the DOST regionaloffice adopted the OIC’s Standards and Metrology Institute for the IslamicCountries (OIC-SMIIC), which is accepted by the 57-member countries of thepan-Islamic organization.

 

Laidan emphasized the importance of a halallaboratory.

 

“We have forensic [verification andtesting], the standardization of the products [because] different countrieshave different requirements and standards. So we are internationallyrecognized…. We know the standards of these countries,” she said.

 

She said the DOST laboratories will helpmicro, small and medium enterprises standardize their halal products, as wellas their other products, noting that MSMEs have no laboratory.

 

Verification and certification

 

Laidan plans to make the DOST-SoccsksargenHalal Laboratory “a certifying laboratory,” meaning it is not just for theusual DNA verification and testing of products for pork and alcohol contents.

 

“We should be a certifying laboratorybecause other laboratories are only for verification,” she said.

 

The DOST regional director noted that someaspects or stages of the food process?from farm to plate?are not reflected orseen in the laboratory, like the slaughtering of animals, manufacturing,handling and preparation.

 

“So, we have two [functions], forensicverification and certification [that a product is halal],” Laidan explained.

 

She said for halal certification,DOST-Soccsksargen will tie up with the ulama, or high-ranking Muslim religiousleaders, and Sharia lawyers.

 

Halal and hospitality industry

 

Laidan took note of the expanding halalglobal trade, citing halal and its importance in the hospitality industry.

 

In a speech in General Santos City duringwhat was billed the “Student Power Conference 2018” recently, she said shebelieves that education must be taken seriously to empower future the humanresources of the country that can contribute to the development of other halalindustries for the Philippines’s inclusive growth and development.

 

The Joji Ilagan International School ofHotel and Tourism Management organized the event that assembled hundreds ofparticipants from schools and universities, and hotel and restaurant managersfrom across the region.

 

Laidan cited the DOST regional office’sPhilippine Halal Program in securing the integrity of food and services inestablishing a Halal Hospitality Industry as a priority.

 

“It is by knowing and understanding the keyconcepts of halal and how to ensure its integrity that the Philippine HalalIndustry can smoothly progress. With the DOST-Soccsksargen Halal Laboratory, wecan protect our Muslim tourists with halal-certified kitchens andhalal-certified food products,” Laidan emphasized.

 

“Halal, as a way of life, does not onlyfocus on food and nonfood products. It also cuts across other services,including tourism, banking and financing, logistics and many others,” shenoted.

 

The DOST regional office said the “Muslimtravel market is now widely recognized as key growing tourism sector projectedto be worth $222 billion by 2020 and is growing at an annual rate of 4percent.”

 

The Philippines has much to gain from theglobal halal market that covers many aspects. It is high time for the countryto benefit from its eco-friendly tourist attractions, plus its diverse richculture.

 

What does halal tourism mean? It is notjust about Muslim-friendly food and nonalcoholic beverages.

 

Huffington Post mentioned a few: It isabout “halal activities, halal hotels, as well as being held in sites that areequipped with facilities in which Muslims can worship… places of worships inshopping mall centers and major tourism facilities.”

 

link->https://businessmirror.com.ph/d-o-s-t-supported-halal-center-building-set-to-open/