PHILIPPINES, INDONESIA EYE HALAL CERTIFICATION FOR TRADE

The Philippines and Indonesia are working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help Philippine exporters comply with Indonesia’s Law 33/2014 on Halal Product Assurance, now in effect. The MoU, now in its final stages, will facilitate the trading of Halal-certified goods through a government-to-government arrangement.

The law requires all halal products for export to Indonesia to be registered with the Halal Products Certification Agency (BPJPH), a new government agency under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. To get a BPJPH certification, products must first be certified by a Halal Certification Body from the country of origin acknowledged by the BPJPH.

“This G2G agreement is part of DTI’s ongoing efforts to make the Philippines a trusted source for Halal products. Through exporting in predominantly Muslim countries like Indonesia, we can also help Filipino businesses pivot to this new market,” said DTI Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman.

“The MOU draft between the DTI and Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency is already final, pending the confirmation and/or any additional comments from the Indonesian side. So, we see this being signed as soon as possible,” said Jeremiah Reyes, Philippine International Trading Center Jakarta Commercial Attaché.

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