"We can learn a lot from Thailand. Our study on how Thailand was able to build a thriving halal industry has given us the proper perspective in establishing our own halal industry in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao," said Muslim Business Forum (MBF) co-founder Jamil Hamza Olermo.
Olermo led a recent study trip to Thailand that focused on its flourishing halal industry that caters to the international market of goods that were produced and prepared under a strict adherence to established practices considered to be Islamic. However, problems still arise in the local scene as government has yet to decide between the Office of the Muslim Affairs and the Southern Philippines Development Authority as to who should take charge of the halal accreditation. Olermo said the inputs they have gathered from the Thailand study could possibly be incorporated in the Philippine Halal Food Standard that is also currently under review.