By Princess Lacorte/AdDU Intern
BEFORE the launch of the Tourism Malaysia Sales Mission to the Philippines Davao on May 25, Malaysia’s Ambassador to the Philippines Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino invited Mindanao to join the International Halal Showcase.
This would be the showcase’s 19th edition, running over the course of four days from September 12 to 15.
“We hope as a continuation of the Halal expo here (in Mindanao), industries and investors can come to Malaysia to have a look at what the global Halal industry, which is, of course, spearheaded by Malaysia and a few other ASEAN countries, and of course the Middle East, and what it can offer the Philippines,” Castelino said.
He further highlighted how he thinks the future is bright due to the Halal industry’s speedy growth and extension to other areas of development besides traditional food and processing, such as pharmaceuticals, fashion, and tourism.
The global Halal economy is expected to rise to nine trillion US dollars in 2025, a significant jump from the 5.6 trillion dollar estimate in 2022.
On May 24, the ambassador met with Mindanao Development Authority Chairperson Maria Acosta to discuss how Malaysia and the Philippines can look further into developing trade investment portfolios, especially in Mindanao.
He mentioned the meeting was productive and effective as both sides had identified key areas where cooperation and planning could commence.
“I think there is a lot of potential for investors and practice for this industry, especially in Mindanao because predominantly you have a large population of Muslims. It could be a large setting stage for the Philippines and Malaysia to be able to export to other countries through manufacturing consensus itself in Mindanao and other parts of the country,” Dato Castelino said.
He believes in this context, they hope to be partners with the country and for this partnership to develop further in the years to come.
“Malaysia is here as a ready partner and friend to the Philippines,” Castelino said.
