MANILA, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) — The Philippines on Tuesday launched a four-year plan to boost the halal industry, hoping to turn the country into a leading halal hub in the Asia-Pacific region by 2028.
Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the Philippine Halal Industry Development Strategic Plan “aspires to establish the Philippines as a customer-focused, collaborative, comprehensive, and competitive halal gateway and destination in the Asia-Pacific.”
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it targets to increase Philippine-made halal-certified products and services to 6,000 by 2028 from the current 3,000.
The trajectory builds on the increasing number of Muslim Filipinos, tourists, Islamic exporters and bankers, halal investors, and health-conscious consumers, the department said.
The DTI said the country’s halal tourism drive is “gaining momentum,” with 289 halal-certified or Muslim-friendly accommodation establishments nationwide and 237 halal-certified or Muslim-friendly accommodation establishment restaurants nationwide.
The department said the halal industry is “one of the most promising industries” in the global market, estimated to reach a staggering 7.7 trillion U.S. dollars in market value by 2025, up from 3.2 trillion dollars in 2015.
