MANILA: In the heart of Manila’s bustling University Belt, a food street known for its diverse culinary offerings has grown into a go-to spot for Filipino Muslims during Ramadan, as they search for halal food that reminds them of home.

The halal eateries along Padre Campa Street, a hub for grub located near the capital’s top colleges and universities, have in recent years become a haven for Muslim minorities, including Hanan, who is from Mindanao’s Sultan Kudarat province.

“I miss a lot of food from home, especially the ones prepared by my mom for iftar,” Hanan, who gave only her first name, told Arab News.

As she spent the holy month in Manila to prepare for a licensing exam, Hanan said finding halal food to break the fast was not as easy as it was back home.

“Fasting here is a bit difficult for us because not all the stores here are certified halal. So, we can only pick certain stores, and this is the only specific store we know is safe for us to eat.”

There are about 12 million Muslims in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, making up around 10 percent of its entire population.

While most live on the island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the country’s south, the Metro Manila capital region is also home to over 173,000 Filipino Muslims.

Along with the government’s recent efforts to promote halal cuisine from Mindanao, such food has become increasingly available in the Philippines’ largest metropolitan area.

But on Padre Campa Street, the presence of halal food stalls has a longer history that can be traced to the owners’ desire to cater to the minority Muslim community.

“We serve native delicacies because there are many Muslims in this area,” Ferdanah Talib, who is from Mindanao’s Zamboanga Sibugay province, told Arab News.

Her brother opened the Halal Avenue food stall in 2017, selling dishes like barbecue chicken and grilled fish, as well as traditional meals like binaki, steamed corn dessert and snacks originating from Mindanao and Cebu.

“It’s our way of supporting our fellow Muslims here, especially during Ramadan. Our store opens at 4:30 p.m. until midnight,” Talib said.

Mary Ann Serra, a Filipina Christian who had worked in Malaysia and spent time in Mindanao, has kept her food shop halal since she opened it over a decade ago.

“We opened this store in 2012, and from the start, it has always been halal,” Serra told Arab News.

“We noticed that there were many Muslims in the area, but there were no halal places to eat. So, we thought, what if we try opening a halal restaurant? Especially during Ramadan, it’s hard for them because there’s nothing for them to eat.”

While her shop specializes in the delicacies of Tausug, one of the largest Muslim ethnic groups in southwestern Philippines, it also sells simple mainstream dishes.

“What our customers keep coming back for are the chicken barbecue, grilled fish, and squid. We also have dishes like tiyula itum, or black soup,” Serra said.

Many Filipino Muslims, even those who are in the capital for a short stay, have grown fond of the food street.

“This is my third time spending Ramadan here in Metro Manila … It really means a lot to us to have a place like this because as Muslims, what we’re really looking for is halal food. We don’t have many places to go for food,” Arsie Muin, who is from Zamboanga City, told Arab News.

“It’s also good because they serve some native delicacies,” he said. “We are really grateful that this place exists.”