PHIS 2026. Philippine Halal Industry Summit 2026 dignitaries, among them NCMF Secretary Sabuddin N. Abdurahim, NCMF Economic Affairs Director Saleha P. Sacar, Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines (AAIIBP) CEO Amenah Pangandaman, and other guests. (Photo above via SDN) 

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NEW WORLD MAKATI HOTEL, Makati City, September 21, 2026 (SDN) — A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

When discussing or talking about the Halal industry in the Philippines, the adage above should be taken into consideration.

It’s because even if how much time, resources, manpower, and infrastructure the government puts into the Islam-inspired economic behemoth, it’s bound to remain just a niche revenue-earner even if just one link of the Halal ecosystem falls apart.

And, perhaps, certification, the process of determining through laboratory analysis whether a product can be labeled “Halal” (permissible, allowable, and lawful), maybe considered the weakest link.

In a recent policy brief, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), as cited by Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines (AAIIBP) Chairperson / CEO Amenah Pangandaman, PIDS pointed to problems on “certification and market access as the major constraints in developing the Halal industry.”

The Al-Amanah bank CEO doubled down on the observation of PIDS, a government think tank.

“Another pertinent issue that needs to be addressed is our Halal certification. There is no denying that Halal certification, here and elsewhere, can be difficult, extensive and costly for SMEs but the returns for both consumers and businesses are also abundant. As we work toward accessible and understandable certification, we must also put in mind that it should not become an unnecessary hurdle for our SMEs,” she says in here speech at the Philippine Halal Industry Summit (PHIS) 2026, a copy of which was sent to SDN – SciTech & Digital News.

Pangandaman, the Philippines’ former budget secretary, suggested coming up with stronger laws needed for the industry, apparently referring, though not explicitly, to laws governing Halal activities in the country that need to be stronger.

In effect, she was saying that consumers, particularly Muslims, need to be shielded from businesses which do not take Halal seriously.

“Beyond financing, I believe that extensive Halal legislation should also be considered to boost the industry. While certification of Halal products is covered by the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program Act of 2016 (Republic Act No. 10817), it does not cover penalty clauses against enterprises that falsely claim they offer Halal products or services.”

Pangandaman called attention to the time when Senator, now Senate President, Sherwin Gatchalian having floated some years back the need for strong legislation because of gaps in existing laws.

Thus, Pangandaman says, “Stronger laws on Halal is a win-win for both producers who can eventually tap the more stringent global market, as well as to consumers who will be protected from buying fake food and non-food Halal products.”

In a related development, an owner of a certifying body in Metro Manila who wished to remain unidentified had a more frank and direct reaction on the problems concerning transgressions of certification rules and regulations by some food manufacturing companies and concerned certifiers.

“Walang ngipin ang gobyerno pagdating sa Halal certification,” he emphasizes. Kaya walang napaparushan na kumpanya at nagsasa-certify ng peke na Halal product. Our regulations on Halal are not effective.”

(Translation: The government is toothless when it comes to certification. So, no company or certifiers involved in fake certification is punished.)

Going back to what Gatchalian pointed, according to Philippine News Agency (PNA) on September 13, 2013, here’s what he said then as he batted for tough law on the Halal industry complete with penalities on erring businesses or companies involved in fake certification.

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“Nanghihinayang ako sa halal industry natin at sa potensyal nito (I regret our halal industry and its potential). It seems to me that it is very fragmented and the regulation is not so clear. Without penalties, regulations are just prescriptive and will be ineffective.

“I see the need to create an extensive law on halal not only to regulate but also to promote and put clarity on what agencies will do, what responsibilities they should perform, and what penalties are involved if stakeholders don’t follow.”

While at it, he wanted private local companies to exercise proactive action to promote compliance with what the Halal industry prescribes even without a regulatory body or a regulatory law with teeth.

And that, very obviously could be the reason why some businesses or companies or enterprises seemed to be not taking Halal certification seriously.

A peek at R.A. No. 10817 showed it seems to take only lightly the welfare of Muslim consumers in relation with Halal as it did not give deserved importance to certification of products, processes, services for local consumption or use.

Here’s Section 11, (c):

“Halal certification of products, processes and services for domestic consumption or use is voluntary on the part of the producer, manufacturer, trader, retailer, or service provider; and…”

Now, consider what’s already happening, and may continue to happen in the absence of a law on the Halal industry that stipulates punishments, penalties, even jail time to any person/company found involved in fraudulent or fake certification whose products were stamped with the Halal Logo then found later to contain pork / porcine DNA.

On July 31, 2026, The Star newspaper published an article online citing the Brunei government’s findings of Philippine exported meat products contaminated with porcine DNA. Brunei ordered the removal of all the products, batches 6BL78, 6BL79, AB107, and LBL51 in all their supermarkets, grocery stores, and in  every businss premises. A Filipino certifying body made the certification of the local food manufacturer. Following the fiasco, the certifying body announced on its Facebook page its withdrawal of its Halal certification of the Brunei-outlawed Philippine meat products, but did not mention the incident.

SDN learned that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) wrote the particular company involved, apparently seeking clarification. As of September 20, 2026, the company has yet to reply to the DTI.

Questions then would or should necessarily be raised: are these Brunei-outlawed Filipino-made products with porcine DNA being sold in local supermarkets, groceries, sari-sari stores, etc.? Are there presently other products certified Halal made by other companies in the market?

Here are two news articles showing some Halal certified products in the local market also contained pork or its derivatives.

1. https://tribune.net.ph/2026/03/14/ncmf-flags-halal-meats-with-pork-traces
2. https://scitechanddigital.news/2019/09/02/dost-labs-find-pork-in-halal-products/

Perhaps, this is the reason for what former NCMF Secretary Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong claimed about the issue on January 7, 2024 (Business Mirror).

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“Almost all the products certified as Halal are contaminated. That’s our problem.”

But amidst all these fiascos on the Halal industry, no one’s been put to task, let alone punished, penalized, even given jail time, which should be the case.

So, what happens if the Halal exporting countries, particularly Arab and Muslim countries in the Middle East, even in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), lose their trust on Philippine manufactured products, processes, and services?

The American Halal Foundation (AHF) on its website, halalfoundation.org said the global Halal market is worth around $3.5 trillion to $7 trillion and projected to rise to $5 trillion to $10 trillion by 2030, with food at 35 percent share.

So, even if just a small bite of the world Halal market would be a huge benefit for the local economy, isn’t it?

Al-Amanah Chairperson and CEO Pangandaman in her speech at the NCMF-organized Halal Industry Summit, laid down government plans going forward.

The Al-Amanah Bank’s top executive cited the DTI’s overall Halal revenue for the entire 2025 at Php16 billion.

She also mentioned the broader targets of the Philippine Halal Industry Development Strategic Plan which aims for a Php230 billion investment in a five-year period until 2028, increase of products certified Halal at 6,000 from 3,000, and 120,000 jobs expected from 2023 to 2028.

In relation with financing access problems as cited by PIDS being experienced by the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), she noted her bank’s commitment to help MSMEs, which combined for 99 percent of the country’s businesses.

“We need to look at what business can become. Credit that reaches only those who are already comfortable is not financial inclusion — it is simply easier banking. Al-Amanah aims to be a real partner to our entrepreneurs, Halal businesses and local industries. We should help connect them to financing, investors, government programs and markets outside the region,” assures Pangandaman.

Walking her talk, the Al-Amanah Bank Chairperson /CEO revealed the Islam-inspired Philippine financial institution is partnering with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to enable the expansion of cooperatives engaged in the Halal industry.

She said plans are afoot to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DTI also for Halal financing for accreditation fees, Halal slaughterhouse facilities.

An MOU between Al-Amanah Bank and NCMF is also in the pipeline, she added, for Islamic financing support for MSMEs and HCBs which is expected to spur the growth of the country’s Halal industry as it empowers Muslim enterpreneurs and businesses.

“I am certain that all of us here are in agreement that Halal can serve as an engine of inclusive growth that would create massive economic opportunities, especially among Muslim communities and finally put us in the region as a global hub for Halal economy,” says a confident Pangandaman. — EDD K. USMAN / SDN

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The author

EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)