The status quo has remained a huge challenge to local Halal certifiers, an official said.
Marilou Ampuan, president of the Universal Islamic Center and vice president for Halal of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., told reporters that local certifiers need to register with the Philippine Accreditation Board (PAB).
Locally, there are acknowledged existing six certifiers but they still need to renew within the year.
“They can still continue their business as a certifier but they need to renew their businesses within this year under PAB to be duly acknowledged as a certifier here in our country,” Ampuan said.
“Now that Halal is now under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), they created a section to monitor the certifiers which is the PAB,” she added.
The PAB, according to Ampuan, is now the policy-making body of the Halal standards in the country.
“So existing certifiers and aspiring ones are enjoined to apply for accreditation under PAB to be duly recognized as a certifier here in the country. So far, there are only two companies who applied here,” she said.
If registered under PAB, establishments can expand their business worldwide.
“PAB is now a member of the International Halal Forum. If a country is a member here, the certification is acknowledged worldwide,” she said.
Ampuan, however, lauded the effort of the government in aggressively campaigning for local certifiers to be accredited by PAB, although the lack of accredited certifiers remains a challenge to have more Halal-certified businesses in the city.
According to Ampuan, there are only 10 Halal-establishments and 30 Halal-potential establishments in the city.
