Sheikh Watteau Supports Philippine Halal Certification Through ISO

Manila. MINA – The Philippines’ leading cleric, Sheikh Watteau D. Ibrahim supports the efforts of halal certification and accreditation in the Philippines through the international standard setting body (ISO).

Sheikh Watteau, Deputy Chairman of the Sharia Fatwa Committee of the Philippine Islamic Da’wah Council, said this to MINA on Wednesday.

“Along with the pace of trade and industry, all halal certifications will adopt the ISO management system,” he said.

He recently attended a meeting of the Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines (IDCP) at the IDCP HALAL Headquarters, Manila, on October 13-14.

The meeting discussed how products from the company’s production process to halal certification, with the supervision of the IDCP Council and the Philippine Government Office.

Present at the conference were sharia experts, muftis, the Certification Body Team and the Philippine Accreditation Bureau.

IDCP has applied for accreditation with the Philippine Bureau of Accreditation (PAB) as mandated in Republic Act No. 10817, known as the “Philippines Halal Export Development and Promotion Act 2016.”

IDCP President, Atty. Abdul Rahman T.Linzag said, in relation to the requirements of the PAB, the management system at the Halal Certification Institute must also be audited in accordance with ISO 17065.

“An audit assessment is a requirement for bodies that certify products, processes and services,” he said.

He emphasized that halal certification is not only a religious compliance with halal requirements as a Muslim individual. But also as a purely voluntary tool that companies in general can use as a marketing tool and give them an edge over other products. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)