Villar pushes for creation of Halal regulatory body

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Cynthia Villar is calling for the creation of a Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulatory Board (PHARB) which would ensure that food items served to Muslims in the country are prepared strictly according to what their faith requires.

Villar filed Senate Bill 312, calling for the creation of the PHARB which would be responsible for the formulation, drafting, management and implementation of programs relevant to manufacturing, production, distribution, preparation, handling, storage and verification of halal approved-food, non-food merchandise and services.

She noted that the government has the responsibility to protect the interest of the people for clean, pure and healthy food, and this includes Filipinos of all faiths such as Muslims.

Villar said the government must ensure compliance with international standards of good manufacturing and hygienic practices by institutionalizing a halal system for food, non-food products and services due to its growing demand both in the local and international market.

The bill intends to inform the people of the Muslim society’s basic culture which provides that their food or products or their ingredients must not contain any component of animals and carrion prohibited under Sharia’h Law, and the slaughter of animals should not counter the same law.

Ingredients in food prepared for Muslims must not be haram (unlawful) or najis, which the Sharia’h law defines as things that are themselves filthy and cannot be cleaned like pork, blood and carrion, as well as lawful food that has been contaminated or has come in contact with filth.

“Also, halal products should not be prepared, processed or manufactured using equipment that has been contaminated with haram or najis. During its preparation, processing, storage or transportation, the food or products is fully separated from, and does not come in contact with any other food or product that has been decreed haram or najis by Sharia’h Law,” Villar said in her bill.

“Service establishments such as, but not limited to, hotels, restaurants, resorts and similar service facilities purposely established for and catering to the public, particularly Muslim patrons, and abattoirs, factories and similar establishments purposely producing halal goods shall conform to the Philippine National Standards for Halal,” she added.

The measure also seeks to institutionalize a national standard at par with the world accepted halal standards ordained in advanced Muslim societies and the same to be observed in all abattoirs, outlets, hotels, restaurants and other service establishments.