The Philippines and Türkiye are working on the accreditation of 30 halal facilities in the Philippines to boost trade in halal products between the two countries.
This was confirmed by Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Ferdinand “Perry” Ferrer during a Turkish business mission on Monday, July 27, where 12 Turkish poultry and meat companies held business matching sessions with Filipino firms.
Ambassador Akyol said arrangements are being made for the inspection of Philippine facilities seeking halal accreditation. The initiative is being pursued jointly by the Departments of Agriculture, Science and Technology, and Trade and Industry, in partnership with the private sector, with an initial focus on poultry products.
The ambassador confirmed that 30 Filipino facilities have applied for halal accreditation. Once the process is completed, Philippine halal-certified facilities will be able to export halal products to Türkiye, beginning with poultry.
“Hopefully by the end of the year we’re able to put a concrete plan of supporting our potentially halal exports on testing laboratories and certification,” said Ferrer, noting the country’s limited base of halal food producers and that halal accreditation can also be costly.
The PCCI is sending a delegation to Türkiye in November to participate in the World Halal Conference.
Ferrer said the domestic halal industry is also pursuing the clustering of hotels and restaurants in Makati, as well as in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, to better serve tourists from Muslim-majority countries.
“The idea is to establish halal facilities within 1-2-kilometer distance, we’re clustering,” he said.
Ferrer said Türkiye could serve as the Philippines’ gateway to Mediterranean markets.
Ambassador Akyol also said Türkiye is interested in importing Philippine coconut juice, coconut oil, and tropical fruits such as mangoes, avocados, and papayas. He added that Türkiye is also looking to source marine products, including shrimp, prawns, and mussels, which he described as being of unparalleled quality, to help meet domestic demand.
The ambassador said Türkiye has a trade volume of USD650 billion globally, including USD250 million to USD300 million trade volume with the Philippines.
