Businesses urged to tap halal market in BIMP-EAGA via Zambo ecozone

MANILA, Philippines - Local firms are encouraged to tap opportunities in halal in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) by setting up operations at the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone (Zamboecozone) and Freeport.

According to Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Zamboecozone chairperson and administrator Christopher Lawrence Arnuco, businesses interested in emerging markets should consider producing halal goods for the BIMP-EAGA region.

The Zamboecozone, Arnuco said, intends to make the freeport the gateway to BIMP-EAGA, a growth region of over 57 million consumers where Islam is a dominant religion and demand for halal goods are high.

Of the ecozone’s total land area of 16,120 hectares, 100 hectares have been reserved as a halal-processing area.

Halal is the prescribed process of preparation of products under the Islamic law.

Arnuco said halal does not only cover food, but other products and services including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, animal feeds, drugs and vaccines.

“The potential of halal products and services is not only limited to Muslim consumers, but is also gaining increasing acceptance among non-Muslims, as consumers normally perceive halal products as having undergone stringent inspection and standard control in terms of ingredients used, strict safety and hygiene specifications and sanitation procedures,” he said.