FOR DECADES, the Philippines has quietly positioned itself as a serious player in the global Halal economy — an unexpected trajectory for a Muslim-minority country. Since the late 1990s, the government has pursued regulatory reforms to support domestic Halal industries, particularly by aligning local standards with international requirements that enable Philippine exporters to access key Muslim markets abroad.
After two decades, in 2022, the prestigious Global Islamic Economy Report (GIER) finally recognized efforts by Philippine-based Halal stakeholders by identifying the Philippines as one of the strongest Halal industry performers among non-OIC economies.
In a previous column, I wrote the undocumented role of Filipino Muslims in shaping the trajectory of global Halal trade since the early 2000s. Key among these contributions is the role of Filipino-owned Halal certification bodies (HCBs) and Filipino bureaucrats as pioneer architects of the leading global Halal regulatory networks presently governing the flows of global Halal trade through mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) among members dispersed across the globe, namely, the World Halal Council (WHC) and the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF). These developments took place from 1998 up to 2016.
However, many are unaware that 2025 is also a year when the Philippines again proved its relevance by hosting significant global Halal gatherings. By serving as a venue for global Halal events, the Philippines in 2025 reaffirmed its role not only as a participant but also as a convening hub for the rapidly growing, global faith-based economy. Industry.
On 28-29 October 2025, the Philippines hosted the following events: (a) the International Halal Conference, and (b) World Halal Food Council (WHFC) Second Assembly.
Graced also by Filipino government officials and members of the diplomatic corps, the joint event organized by the WHFC and its local member, the Halal Development Institute of the Philippines (HDIP), underscored the importance of alignment and collaboration between the government and other Halal stakeholders from the private sector to cultivate the importance of Halal industry in the everyday lives of Muslims across the world and the industry’s ancillary developmental promises, regardless whether a country has a major or minor Muslim population.
The World Halal Food Council is one of the largest Halal networks across the globe. Primarily based in Indonesia, the WHFC was born in the mid-2000s after the split of the World Halal Council (WHC) in 1998.
The split of the original WHC in 2007 resulted in the emergence of the WHFC and the new WHC, where each group imposes its own regulatory standards for HCB-members to follow and own mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) for HCB-members to recognize and acknowledge. At present, the WHFC has more than 50+ members across the globe.
Hence, if a Halal exporter avails the Halal certification from one of WHFC’s members (e.g. HDIP), then the goods are guaranteed to have access to more than 50 foreign markets, regardless of whether these markets are from Muslim majority or minority states.
By conducting the 2025 conference in the Philippines, the WHFC views the Philippines as a reliable partner and vital Halal market necessary for the smooth flow and operations of the global Halal industry.
Unfortunately, many stories about the Philippines’ quiet yet significant role in shaping the global Halal industry remain underreported and insufficiently documented. Few realize, for instance, that the first ASEAN Halal conference, the 1st BIMP-EAGA Islamic Business Summit, was hosted in General Santos City in 2002.
Equally notable is the role of the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines (IDCP), which served as secretariat of the original World Halal Council (WHC) until its organizational split in the mid-2000s, reflecting the depth of Philippine engagement in the formative years of global Halal governance.
Beyond high-profile events, Philippine-based Halal certifiers continue to sustain the everyday infrastructure of global Halal trade through extensive mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) with partners abroad.
By providing accessible certification services to foreign farms, manufacturing plants, and production facilities, particularly in Latin America and East Asia, these actors help overseas firms save time and resources while maintaining compliance with international standards.
In this sense, Philippine Halal stakeholders function not merely as local certifiers but as institutional brokers, quietly facilitating the steady and reliable flow of Halal goods across international markets.
As the 2026 ASEAN Chair, these milestones by the Philippines in the global Halal arena carry strategic significance beyond symbolism. Hosting major Halal gatherings and shaping regulatory networks positions the country to advance regional cooperation on Halal standards, trade facilitation, and inclusive economic development within ASEAN.
If leveraged effectively, the Philippines’ convening role in the Halal industry can complement its diplomatic agenda by transforming past achievements into a forward-looking platform to advance deeper economic integration across the Southeast Asian region.
