A DRAFT of the guidelines for the incentivized activities related to the halal industry is being crafted by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

According to PEZA Ecozone Development Department Manager Ludwig Daza, the investment promotion agency (IPA) is looking to create proper guidelines by next year.

They aim for the establishment of a halal hub across the country.

“Because without the guidelines and the approval of the PEZA Board, we cannot register halal projects yet. So we need the guidelines, the framework, so we can register projects related to halal industry under the CREATE (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises) Law or the SIPP (Strategic Investment Priority Plan),” he said.

Likewise, Daza narrated that the first halal hub can be in Mindanao, with its proximity to Muslim-dominated countries of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia which are also being eyed as partners of the country in developing its domestic halal industry.

Once completed PEZA said they would hand out incentives to the halal ecozone developers and locators. 

The ecozone is also being eyed to host the entire supply chain for the halal industry.

At the PEZA 28th Investors’ Night last week, PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said, as halal and food production hubs are part of the new frontier of ecozone development for the IPA to support the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s target to stimulate the local halal ecosystem.