Kota Kinabalu: Mindanao’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have the resources and capabilities to enter the regional halal market but remain significantly underutilised due to gaps in certification, market access, investment and technical expertise, said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Ferdinand Ferrer.
He said Mindanao was home to thousands of small food processors, agricultural producers, furniture makers and artisans capable of meeting halal standards with appropriate support, while the region also possessed abundant raw materials including coconut, cacao, seaweed, tropical fruits, coffee and marine products.
“The raw materials are present, the craftsmanship is also present. What remains is the connection to certification bodies, to regional buyers, to investors, and to technical know-how that transforms raw commodity into certified, export-ready product,” he said at the third BIMP-EAGA Trade and Investment and Halal Industry Conference on Wednesday.
Ferrer said Philippine MSMEs needed to scale value not simply by producing more, but by producing for more markets at higher standards and better returns, with the conference providing an avenue for them to establish connections with halal certification bodies, investors and entrepreneurs from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia who had already navigated the market.
He said the opportunity was particularly significant because the BIMP-EAGA economies each brought different strengths to the halal value chain, with Brunei Darussalam contributing globally recognised halal certification standards, while Indonesia and Malaysia had mature halal ecosystems, technical expertise and established export networks, and the Philippines had a vast and increasingly halal-conscious MSME base, particularly in Mindanao.
“Individually, each of our economies holds a piece of that value chain. Connected, we hold the whole of it,” he added, urging Philippine MSMEs attending the conference to participate actively by asking questions, exchanging contacts and exploring partnerships.
Ferrer said the wider halal industry was no longer a niche sector but a multi-trillion-dollar ecosystem covering food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, modest fashion, tourism, finance and textiles, with its growth driven not only by the expanding global Muslim population but also by non-Muslim consumers who regarded halal certification as a benchmark for quality, hygiene and ethical production.
He said BIMP-EAGA was therefore well placed to capture a greater share of the market by connecting its businesses and capabilities, adding that the region had demonstrated for more than three decades what neighbouring countries could achieve through cooperation and shared prosperity.
Ferrer said the connections established during the conference could become the value chains of tomorrow, with the halal industry providing a timely opportunity for BIMP-EAGA countries to connect their markets more deliberately and scale the value they create together.
He urged participants to make full use of the conference by listening, engaging openly and leaving with not only new knowledge but also new business connections and opportunities that could benefit their respective countries.