Halal Certification in the Philippines: The Process Under RA 10817

For products to be exported as Halal from the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10817 — the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of 2016 — requires three things: certification from an accredited Halal certification body, compliance with the applicable Philippine National Standards for Halal (or recognized international or foreign standards), and registration with the national regulatory agency concerned. Only after meeting these conditions may the Philippine Halal Logo be used. For products sold only in the domestic market, Halal certification is voluntary.

Who Regulates Halal Certification in the Philippines

Under Section 5 of RA 10817, the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board (the Halal Board) is the policy-making body on Halal export development, attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The DTI Secretary chairs it, with the Secretary of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) as Vice Chairperson.

The Halal Board does not certify businesses itself. Under Section 9, the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) is the agency mandated to handle the accreditation of certification bodies, inspection bodies, and testing and calibration laboratories. The PAB formulates accreditation policies and guidelines for Halal certification bodies and grants, denies, suspends, or withdraws accreditation.

The practical point: a business obtains certification from a Halal certification body that has itself been accredited by the PAB.

The Standards Your Product Must Meet

Section 10 of RA 10817 assigns the development of Philippine National Standards for Halal to specific standard-setting agencies:

• Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) — for primary and post-harvest foods;
• Department of Health – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — for processed and prepackaged foods, drugs, and cosmetics;
• Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) — for nonfood products aside from drugs and cosmetics.

Other products, processes, and services needing standards are assigned by the Halal Board to the appropriate agency. Which agency applies to you therefore depends on what you produce.

The Certification Process, Step by Step

RA 10817 sets the legal requirements; the detailed audit and documentation steps are governed by the accreditation guidelines of the PAB and the procedures of the accredited certification body. In outline:

1. Determine whether certification is mandatory or voluntary. If the product will be exported as Halal, certification is required under Section 11(a). If it is for domestic consumption only, certification is voluntary under Section 11(c).
2. Identify the applicable standard. Match your product to the correct standard-setting agency under Section 10.
3. Engage a certification body accredited by the PAB. Certification is defined in Section 3(b) as third-party attestation of conformance to standards and guidelines.
4. Comply with the applicable Philippine National Standards for Halal, or with international or foreign standards recognized by the standard-setting agencies.
5. Register with the national regulatory agency concerned, as required by Section 11(a).
6. Apply to use the Philippine Halal Logo. Under Section 11(b), producers, manufacturers, processors, traders, exporters, and service providers may affix the logo — with the permission of the relevant regulatory agency — only after complying with the conditions above.

Using the Philippine Halal Logo

Section 6(d) gives the Halal Board the power to issue the Philippine Halal Logo and the guidelines on its proper use. The same provision prohibits all other government agencies from issuing a logo and requiring its use as proof of Halal compliance, and disallows the use of logos previously issued by government agencies involved in Halal development and promotion.

Producers, manufacturers, traders, retailers, and service providers serving the domestic market that have voluntarily undergone certification from accredited Halal certification bodies may apply and be granted permission to use the Philippine Halal Logo on their products, establishments, or facilities, under Section 11(d).

Support Available to Halal Producers and Exporters

RA 10817 provides institutional support beyond certification. Section 13 directs the government, especially the DA, to provide or upgrade common service facilities such as slaughterhouses, warehouses, refrigeration facilities, and laboratory facilities in strategic production areas. Investment promotion agencies, including the Board of Investments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, are mandated to promote the growth of Halal industries and may grant fiscal and non-fiscal incentives as their charters allow.

Section 14 requires capacity building for producers, manufacturers, and processors, including knowledge on facilities upgrading and retrofitting and adoption of accepted manufacturing practices. Section 12 tasks the DTI's Export Marketing Bureau, with the DA and DOH, to assist exporters through trade information, business matching, trade fairs, and market consultancy.

Frequently asked questions

Is Halal certification mandatory in the Philippines? Only for products that will be exported as Halal. Under Section 11 of RA 10817, these must be certified by an accredited Halal certification body, comply with the applicable standards, and be registered with the national regulatory agency concerned. For domestic consumption, certification is voluntary.

Who accredits Halal certification bodies in the Philippines? The Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB), under Section 9 of RA 10817. The PAB grants or denies accreditation of Halal certification bodies and may suspend or withdraw it.

Can any business use the Philippine Halal Logo? No. Government agencies other than the Halal Board are prohibited from issuing a Halal logo. Use of the Philippine Halal Logo requires the permission of the relevant regulatory agency and compliance with the certification, standards, and registration conditions under Section 11.

Practical takeaways

• Exporting as Halal requires certification from a PAB-accredited certification body, compliance with the applicable Philippine National Standards for Halal, and registration with the national regulatory agency concerned.
• Domestic-market Halal certification is voluntary, but voluntarily certified businesses may apply to use the Philippine Halal Logo.
• The standard-setting agency depends on the product: BAFS for primary and post-harvest foods, FDA for processed and prepackaged foods, drugs, and cosmetics, and BPS for nonfood products.
• Only the Halal Board issues the Philippine Halal Logo; other government agencies cannot require their own Halal logo.
• Government support — common service facilities, capacity building, and export promotion — is available under RA 10817.

Primary sources

The rules discussed above are drawn from the following primary sources, as published in the Official Gazette and the national statute book.

• REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10817 - AN ACT INSTITUTING THE PHILIPPINE HALAL EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE PHILIPPINE HALAL EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION BOARD, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

This article is general information and not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a lawyer or ask ASG Legal AI.