Can Xord TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session JUL -2 P4:28 SENATE REC. S. No. 16 Introduced by Senator Robinhood Padilla AN ACT MANDATING THE UNIFIED CERTIFICATION OF HALAL PRODUCTS, PROCESSES AND SERVICES IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE In 2016, Republic Act No. 10817 otherwise known as the "Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program Act" was enacted to lay down a comprehensive framework for the development and promotion of halal products for export. As part of the export development and promotion program, the law mandated the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board (Halal Board) to be the policy-making body on the halal export development program, and the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) to grant or deny the accreditation of halal certification bodies. In a 2022 Policy Brief by the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) that tackled the legal and institutional ecosystem of halal in the Philippines, it has been observed that R.A. No. 10817 opens the possibility of a halal industry that is operated by non-Muslims to the detriment of halal products' marketability due to (1) the composition of the Halal Board, which is only assured of having three Muslims out of its eleven members, and (2) the focus on the commercial and marketing aspects of the Philippine Halal Industry instead of the need to maintain the spiritual integrity of halal products.
In a 2023 hearing of the Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs, another issue raised was the lack of a unified halal standard.' An attendee representing the Alliance for Halal Integrity in the Philippines (AHIP), a halal-certifying body (HCB) in the Philippines, stated that there is "no uniformity in the auditing or inspection process, be it from start to finish and in-between the processors/producers' entire operations? and to seek accreditation is "voluntary from the side of an HCB because there is no regulation or sanction regarding being with or without accreditation.'3 The global halal market is valued at $7.7 trillion covering the food, cosmetics, tourism, banking, and pharmaceutical industries, and as the Philippines positions itself to be a key player in the global halal market, much needs to be improved in the current halal ecosystem considering the foregoing gaps identified after years of implementation of R.A. No. 10817. In light of these considerations, the prompt enactment of this bill is strongly recommended. Senator ' Diampuan, P. (2023, November 23). Gaps in the halal industry in the Philippines: Call for legislating Philippine Halal Authority. BusinessWorld Online. https://www.bworidonline.com/opinion/2023/11/24/559365/gaps-in-the-halal-industry-in-the- 2 tippines-cal-for-legislating-philippine-halal-authority/ 3 Ibid. * Trinidad, B. (2025, April 16). Beyond food: How the halal market is quietly transforming beauty, tourism and more. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/2025/04/17/2436715/beyond-food- how-halal-market-quietly-transforming-beauty-tourism-and-more
wide theate TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session 25 JUL -2 P4:28 SENATE RECEI S. No._ Introduced by Senator Robinhood Padilla AN ACT MANDATING THE UNIFIED CERTIFICATION OF HALAL PRODUCTS PROCESSES AND SERVICES IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Unified Halal
Certification Act'.
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the religious diversity of
the Filipino people and the constitutional right to free exercise of religion. To this end, 5 the State shall endeavor to protect the rights of Muslim consumers, ensure the integrity of halal-certified products, promote the competitiveness of the Philippine halal industry, and foster trust in local and international markets. Towards this end, the State shall establish a unified, credible, and efficient system for halal certification, and abolish the system of accrediting numerous halal certifying bodies in favor of a sole supreme halal certifying agency.
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. — For the purposes of this Act:
(a) Certification refers to the attestation of conformance to standards and guidelines related to products, processes, systems or persons. (b) Hala/ refers to lawful of permissible under Islamic law;
(c) Processes refer to a set of interrelated or interacting activities which transforms inputs to outputs; (d) Products refer to food and nonfood items produced by human or mechanical effort, or by a natural process, or a combination thereof, and marketed or sold as a commodity; (e) Recognition refers to the acknowledgment of the validity of a conformity assessment result provided by a person or body; and (f) Services refer to an intangible result of at least one (1) activity performed by a supplier or provider for a customer.
Sec. 4. Halal Certification and Regulatory Board. - To ensure the attainment
of this Act, there is hereby created the Halal Certification and Regulatory Board (HCRB) which shall be attached to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF). The HCB, in coordination with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in MuSlim Mindanao (BARMM), Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BAFS), shall be responsible for developing a national standard for halal certification. All entities intending to operate as providers of halal products, processes, and services shall obtain certification from the HCRB. Any product, process, or service not 33 bearing the certification of the HCRB shall be considered non-compliant to halal 34 standards.
Sec. 5. Powers and Functions of the HCRB. — The HCRB shall have the following
powers and functions: (a) Formulate and enforce national halal certification standards in accordance with Islamic principles and international benchmarks that shall cover procedures to determine continuous compliance; (b) Monitor, inspect, and evaluate applicants for halal certification pursuant to a new halal certification standard and process that shall be developed for the purposes of this Act; (c) Develop a National Halal Certification Registry;
(d) Coordinate with international halal certification organizations for mutual recognition and best practices; (e) Suspend and revoke halal certifications previously granted in the case of non- compliance; (f) Conduct training and awareness programs related to halal; and (g) Promote and enrich the halal industry in the local and international setting.
Sec. 6. Composition of the HCRB. - The HCRB shall be composed of nine (9)
members: (a) Chairperson who must be a Muslim, appointed by the President, upon recommendation of the NCMF; (b) Two (2) representatives from the BARMM; (c) Representative from the Department of Trade and Industry; (d) Representative from the Department of Agriculture; (e) Representative from the Food and Drug Administration; (f) Representative from the Department of Science and Technology; and (g) Two (2) Muslim Filipino professionals from the academe, law, industry, or food science who have experience in halal industry development, to be appointed by the President from at least four (4) nominees recommended by Muslim Filipino people's organizations and nongovernment organizations.
Sec. 7. Applicability of Consumer Protection and Copyright Laws and Regulatory
Agency Charters. - The relevant provisions of consumer protection and copyright laws, and their implementing rules or orders, as well as the charters of regulatory and standard setting agencies shall be applied in the implementation of this Act to ensure compliance with Philippine national halal certification standards and the use of the halal logo. Nothing herein shall be construed as limiting any department, agency or bureau from imposing, applying or enforcing the necessary fines and penalties under these laws.
Sec. 8. Appropriations. — The initial amount necessary to implement this Act
shall be charged against the current appropriations of the NCM and other involved
73 agencies. Thereafter, such sums as may be needed shall be included in the annual 74 General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 9. Transitory Provisions. - The accreditation function of the Philippine
76 Accreditation Board as provided under Republic Act No. 10817 is hereby repealed. All 77 accreditation and certification activities and records shall be transferred to the HCB. 78 All entities that have previously been granted halal accreditation or certification shall undergo recertification in accordance with a transition plan to be developed by the HCB in consultation with halal industry stakeholders. Furthermore, the transition plan shall provide for the eventual centralization and consolidation of all certification activities in the HCB, and the phasing out of all previously accredited halal certifying bodies.
Sec. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The HCB, in consultation with
concerned government agencies, Muslim Filipino organizations, and Halal industry stakeholders, shall issue the implementing rules and regulations of this Act within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act.
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, and rules
92 and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,