By EDD K. USMAN
QUEZON CITY — High-ranking government officials from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led by Khalid Al-Awadi are coming to the Philippines to try to resolve the problem on the credibility of Philippine “halal” certifying bodies.
Director Tahir Lidasan Jr. of the Office on Muslim Affairs-Bureau of External Relations (OMA-BER) said OMA will host, together with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Al-Awadi and his fellow UAE officials during their visit by the last days of July.
It could be recalled that UAE had barred over P
100-million food products exported by six Philippine companies because no Filipino "halal" certifiying body is accredited with the UAE government.
All food exports to Muslims countries such as the UAE must pass stringent religious and scientific analysis before they could be declared "halal," meaning they do not contain pork or any of its derivatives and other un-Islamic substances and, are, thus, allowed for Muslim consumption or use.
"As a result, the UAE has temporarily banned imports of any meat, poultry or their by-products from the Philippines after 20 June 2004," said Lidasan.
To resolve the row on halal, Lidasan said the government has invited the UAE officials to try to resolve the problem that is giving Filipino exporters huge losses.
The OMA official added the Philippines also asked UAE for a three-month reprieve, but the approval is still being awaited.
Lidasan cited the report of Trade Attache Gil B. Henrico, who is assigned in Dubai, UAE’s second biggest emirate (sheikdom) and commercial-industrial center, that the Arab country is, for the meantime, disallowing import of meat, poultry or their byproducts from the Philippines until UAE’s General Secretariat of Municipalities has given recognition and accreditation to a halal certifying agency from the Philippines.
Henrico has recommended that concerned Filipino officials meet with those from the Food Control of Dubai.
Observers said the UAE move highlighted the big problem being faced by the Philippines’ fledgling and largely disorganized halal trade industry, a potential source of multi-million dollars of revenue if the government knows what is doing.
There are many halal certifying groups in the Philippines, hardly any organization passes international scrutiny, thus the continuing credibility problem.
