ONE emerging industry in Davao City at present, which both the city and the national governments have been trying to push, is the Halal industry.
The problem, however, is that even the concept has not been understood by many business establishments that they associate it just with food.
“There is a need for us to be able to make people understand the true meaning of Halal,” said Zuhairah A. Abas-Diamla, chief operations officer at the regional office of the Department of Tourism.
Abas-Diamla noted that most business establishments, particularly those operated by non-Muslims, thought that Halal is only the absence of food that Muslims call Haram, or forbidden. “There is a need for business owners to understand that Halal is not just food but the entire way life of Muslims,” she added.
Inventory and bottomline
The agency has also started to inventory the readiness of business establishments in its effort as it is also planning to come up with a comprehensive roadmap detailing the necessary steps in plugging the loopholes to improve the readiness of the business sector.
Halal, an Arabic term, is loosely translated as something that Islam allows, be it food, service or action.
Marilou W. Ampuan, a leading promoter of the Halal industry, said that Muslim travelers have been conscious on whether the establishments that they get into are Muslim-friendly. “They need an assurance that they can practice their religion (in the establishments),” said Ampuan, founder of the Mindanao Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Both Abas-Diamla and Ampuan admitted the need for more comprehensive campaign to make business owners understand the concept of Halal especially because making their establishments conform with the requirements mean investing in the process.
“A comprehensive information campaign is necessary especially because they should also look into how this will affect their bottomlines,” Ampuan added.
Empowerment
On the part of the city government, Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio issued Executive Order 12 creating the Davao City Halal Industry Development Council, a body tasked to craft a comprehensive mechanism in pushing for the Halal industry.
Sitting as the chair of the body, Duterte-Carpio, in issuing the executive order, also urged the national government to do its part in enhancing “the growth of the Halal industry and help the government in coming up with a unified system for production, certification and marketing so the Philippines can maximize its huge potential in global Halal market.”
The rationale behind the creation of the Halal council was for it to be able to help producers make their products Halal-certified so they can sell them to Muslim consumers, including those in other countries.
Abas-Diamla said that there must be a unified effort in enhancing the Halal-readiness of business establishments in the region as it tries to court visitors from Muslim countries, particularly the neighbors of the country in the Southeast Asian region.
“If we are able to plug the loopholes, we will be able to grow this emerging segment of the tourism industry,” she added.
