Manila, Philippines – The country is now on the road to carve a niche in the $3 trillion halal market after Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala approved the national halal standards for farm and fisheries on September 7, 2011. Alcala’s imprimatur completes a process that started several ago and involved not only Islamic clerics but also Muslim food experts and practitioners of Sharia law, all of whom are mandated to implement strict dietary rules consistent with Islamic doctrines.
Sani Macabalang, director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said the total global halal market has an annual turnover of about $3-trillion, with nearly 30 percent of the global population, or 2 billion, being Muslim. Food items alone are worth $1.323 trillion, he added. (Marvyn N. Benaning)