Halal Certification Philippines Export Requirements Under R.A. 10817

The Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of 2016, or Republic Act No. 10817, sets the rules for exporting Halal products from the Philippines. Under Section 11, any Philippine product exported as Halal — and any process or service whose outputs or benefits flow outside Philippine territory — must meet three conditions: (1) undergo certification from an accredited Halal certification body; (2) comply with the appropriate Philippine National Standards for Halal, or with international or foreign standards recognized by the mandated standard-setting agencies; and (3) be registered with the national regulatory agency concerned. Only after meeting these conditions may a producer, manufacturer, processor, trader, exporter, or service provider use the Philippine Halal Logo, and only with the permission of the relevant regulatory agency.

Who Regulates Halal Exports in the Philippines

R.A. 10817 created the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board, or Halal Board, as the policy-making body on Halal export development. It sets the overall direction for the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program and is attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Under Section 7, the Halal Board is chaired by the DTI Secretary, with the Secretary of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) as Vice Chairperson. Its members include the Secretaries of Agriculture, Health, Science and Technology, Foreign Affairs, and Tourism, the Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority, and two Muslim Filipino professionals from the academe, law, industry, or food science. Those two professionals serve a three-year term and may be reappointed once.

The Board's powers under Section 6 include directing the development and harmonization of Philippine National Standards for Halal, spearheading international agreements and the recognition of accredited Halal certification bodies abroad, and issuing the Philippine Halal Logo and guidelines on its proper use.

Step 1: Secure Certification From an Accredited Halal Certification Body

Certification, as defined in Section 3(b), is the third-party attestation of conformance to standards and guidelines related to products, processes, systems, or persons. Accreditation, under Section 3(a), is the procedure by which a government agency formally attests to the competence of an inspection or certification body to provide inspection and certification services.

The Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) handles accreditation of Halal certification bodies. Under Section 9, the PAB formulates accreditation policies and guidelines and may grant or deny accreditation, or suspend or withdraw it. In doing so, it consults and, when necessary, collaborates with the Halal Board, its member agencies, and Halal industry stakeholders. An exporter should therefore engage a certification body that holds PAB accreditation.

Step 2: Comply With the Correct Philippine National Standards for Halal

Section 10 assigns the development of Philippine National Standards for Halal to specific 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; and
• Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) for nonfood products aside from drugs and cosmetics.

Products, processes, and services not covered by these agencies are assigned by the Halal Board to the appropriate government agency. Compliance may be with the applicable Philippine National Standards for Halal or with international or foreign standards recognized by these agencies.

Step 3: Register With the National Regulatory Agency

Beyond certification and standards compliance, Section 11(a) requires registration with the national regulatory agency concerned. The specific agency depends on the product: food and food-related items generally fall under the DA or the DOH, while nonfood items fall under the DTI.

Using the Philippine Halal Logo

The Philippine Halal Logo may be affixed or used on products, packaging, letterheads, brochures, leaflets, and other media only after complying with the three conditions above, and only with the permission of the relevant regulatory agency. Section 6(d) vests the Halal Board with issuing the logo and its guidelines. The same provision prohibits other government agencies from issuing a logo and requiring its use as proof of compliance to a Halal standard or regulation, and disallows the use of logos previously issued by government agencies involved in Halal development and promotion.

Certification is mandatory only for exports. Under Section 11(c), Halal certification of products, processes, and services for domestic consumption is voluntary. Domestic producers, manufacturers, traders, retailers, and service providers that voluntarily obtain certification from accredited bodies may apply for permission to use the Philippine Halal Logo on their products, establishments, or facilities.

Export Promotion and Support

Section 12 directs the DTI, particularly the Export Marketing Bureau, in coordination with the DA and the DOH, to boost the competitiveness of Halal exporters through business matching, trade and market information, trade fairs and business missions, seminars and workshops on export documentation and procedures, product design and development, and market and product consultancy. The DTI and the DA are also tasked to use their Foreign Trade Service Corps and Foreign Agriculture Service Corps, respectively, for commercial intelligence and marketing. Together with the NCMF and the Department of Foreign Affairs, they pursue recognition of accredited Philippine Halal certification bodies and certified products, processes, and services by foreign accreditation and certification bodies.

Section 13 also directs the DA to provide common service facilities such as slaughterhouses, warehouses, refrigeration facilities, and laboratory facilities and equipment in strategic production, processing, and manufacturing areas.

Frequently asked questions

Is Halal certification required for all Philippine exports? Yes, for products exported as Halal. Section 11(a) requires 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.

Who accredits Halal certification bodies in the Philippines? The Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB), under Section 9 of R.A. 10817. It grants, denies, suspends, or withdraws accreditation under established policies and guidelines.

Is Halal certification mandatory for products sold only in the Philippines? No. Under Section 11(c), certification for domestic consumption is voluntary on the part of the producer, manufacturer, trader, retailer, or service provider.

Practical takeaways

• Exporting as Halal requires three things: certification from an accredited body, compliance with the applicable Philippine National Standards for Halal or recognized foreign standards, and registration with the national regulatory agency concerned.
• Verify that the certification body holds accreditation from the Philippine Accreditation Bureau.
• The Philippine Halal Logo may be used only after complying with these conditions and securing permission from the relevant regulatory agency.
• Standards are set by the DA-BAFS for primary and post-harvest foods, the FDA for processed and prepackaged foods, drugs, and cosmetics, and the DTI-BPS for nonfood products.
• Domestic Halal certification is voluntary, but voluntarily certified businesses may apply to use the Philippine Halal Logo.

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 (REPUBLIC ACT No. 10817)

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