Pasay city: Malaysia is prepared to fully back the Philippines in developing its halal industry and securing a place in the multibillion-dollar global market, its envoy to Manila said Friday. 'The development the Philippine Halal Development Strategic Plan, which is now being implemented, has shown remarkable progress,' Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Dato' Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino said during the Foreign Service Institute Ambassadors' Lecture Series in Pasay City.

According to Philippines News Agency, Malaysia is fully supportive and will continue to support the Philippines to establish itself as a premium Halal gateway and destination in the region. Castelino emphasized the vast opportunities awaiting the region, citing projections that the halal industry will reach USD7.9 trillion by 2028.

He explained the potential for collaboration in the halal sector among countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Bangladesh, highlighting the need for focus in the coming years. The Philippine government, under the halal blueprint launched in 2023, seeks to double by 2028 Philippine-made halal certified products and services to 6,000.

The strategic plan also aims to attract PHP230 billion in investments to expand the domestic halal sector and create 120,000 jobs for Filipinos. In a separate interview with the Philippine News Agency, Castelino confirmed that a Malaysian certification firm is preparing to establish presence in Manila.

The Philippine government previously urged Malaysia's halal certifying authority, the Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia, to establish a world-class halal certifying body in the Philippines this year. With Malaysia being one of the world's leading halal champions, the Philippine government stated that the proposed certifying body would help the country align its growing halal sector with international standards.