MANILA: The Philippines is pushing for common halal certification standards among Association of Southeast Asian Nations members, its Department of Trade and Industry says, as it aims to facilitate mutual recognition of products and expand access to Middle Eastern and other Muslim markets.
Three of ASEAN’s 11 members — Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei — are Muslim-majority countries, accounting for 45 percent of the bloc’s population of over 680 million.
While the Philippines is predominantly Catholic, it has a sizeable Muslim minority, which makes up about 10 percent of the country’s nearly 120 million people.
“ASEAN countries generally follow the same fundamental halal principles based on Islamic law. However, certification procedures, accreditation requirements, institutional arrangements, and recognition systems vary among countries. ASEAN is working toward harmonized halal guidelines for food and stronger mutual recognition to promote greater consistency and facilitate trade across the region,” the DTI told Arab News over the weekend.
“A more harmonized halal standard across ASEAN, particularly for food products, would promote greater consistency ... help reduce compliance costs, ease market entry for exporters, improve confidence of consumers and strengthen intra-ASEAN trade.”
The global halal market, particularly halal food, is rapidly growing in value. Consumer spending on halal food was $1.53 trillion in 2024, according to the State of the Global Islamic Economy report published in June by DinarStandard, a US consultancy specializing in Muslim consumer markets. The report projects the market will reach $2.06 trillion by 2029.
As the Philippines holds ASEAN rotating chairship in 2026, it hosted last month the ASEAN Working Group on Halal Food meeting, which discussed the common halal standards.
“ASEAN member states are currently deliberating ASEAN Guidelines on Halal Food aimed at promoting a more harmonized regional approach. The Philippines actively participates in these discussions through existing ASEAN mechanisms, with any future arrangement subject to consensus among member states,” the DTI said.
“Interest in halal certification is increasing as companies seek to access domestic Muslim consumers and export markets in ASEAN, the Middle East, and other OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) countries. Notably, the interest in halal products has also expanded to non-Muslim-dominated markets. Halal products compliance with strict standards of safety and cleanliness in production process also appeals to health-conscious consumers and has made halal products synonymous with high quality, safe, and healthy products.”
