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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
First Regular Session 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill is submitted bearing in mind that it is the policy of the State to protect 
the interest of the people for clean, pure and healthy food. Likewise, the recognition 
that the government must ensure compliance with international standards of good 
manufacturing and hygienic practices by institutionalizing a Halal system for food, 
non-food products and services. Most important of all, however, is the fact that this 
bill is accorded recognition in respect to the rich tradition and way of life of the 
Filipino Muslims. 
Among the highlights of this piece of legislation are as follows: 
The establishment of a Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulatory 
Board which will be responsible for the formulation, drafting, management 
and implementation of programs relevant to manufacturing, production, 
distribution, preparation, handling, storage and verification of halal 
approved-food, non-food merchandise and services; 
It provides as well as informs the people of the basic culture characterizing 
the Muslim society, which includes; 
1) that food or products or their ingredients must not contain any 
components of animals and carrion that are prohibited under Sharia'h 
Law or animals that are not slaughtered according to the Sharia'h 
Law; 
2) that the food or product does not contain ingredients that are 
considered Haram or Najis by Sharia'h Law; 
3) that the food or product is not prepared, processed or manufactured 
using equipment that has been contaminated with Haram or Najis, 4) 
the labeling of products that are certified as Halal or its equivalent term 
and should not be used in ways which could give rise to doubt about 
the safety of similar food or to claims that Halal foods are nutritionally 
superior to or healthier than other foods. 
It institutionalizes a national standard at par with the world accepted Halal 
standards ordained in advanced Muslim societies and the same to be 
observed in all abattoirs, outlets, hotels, restaurants and other service 
establishments. 
Early cognizance of this bill by the Committee and its earnest immediate 
enactment is requested. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE HALAL ACCREDITATION AND REGULATORY 
BOARD AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the "Philippines Halal Act of 
2008. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - It is the policy of the State to protect the 
interest for clean and pure food. Towards this end, the State shall ensure 
compliance with international standards of good manufacturing and hygienic 
practices by institutionalizing a Halal system for food, non-food products and 
services, in response to the growing demands for Halal products both in the local 
and international market. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms -As used in this Act: 
a. Shariah Law - means the Islamic law based on the AI-Quran, AI-hadith 
(Traditions of the Messenger of Allah), ljma (Consensus of Islamic Scholars) and 
Qiyas (Legal Deduction or Analogy) according to the Shafei or anyone of the Hanafi, 
Maliki or Hanbali Schools of Thought which have been practiced by countries where 
these guidelines have been implemented. 
b. Halal- means "lawful," as pertaining to food and other products for human 
consumption and services permitted under Shariah Law. 
c. Haram - means "unlawful", as pertaining to food, beverage and other 
products not allowed for human consumption such as carrion, najis, intoxicating 
preparations containing alcohol as well as services prohibited under Shariah Law. 
2 


d. Halal sysfem - means the comprehensive systems, standards and 
procedures providing the mechanism for the development, promotion, monitoring 
and regulation of halal trade. 
e. Accreditation -the procedure by which an authoritative body grants formal 
recognition, under duly established guidelines and rules, to another body that it is 
competent to carry out specific tasks. 
f. Certification - third party attestation related to products, processes, 
systems, or persons. 
g. lslamic organization - means qualified Muslim organization engaged in 
the inspection, audit and halal certification of food and non-food products, 
establishments and services. 
h. Carrion - as defined by Shariah Law, means the flesh of swine, dogs, cats, 
reptiles, amphibians and predatory animals; flesh of dead animals that have been 
sacrified to idols; blood; flesh partly consumed by beasts and birds of prey; and dead 
or decaying flesh of animals felled by strangulation, beating or goring. 
i. Najis - as defined by Shariah Law, means things that are themselves filthy 
and cannot be cleaned like: pork, blood and carrion, as well as lawful food that has 
been contaminated or has come in contact with filth. 
SEC. 4. General Guidelines - For the purpose of this Act, the following are 
established General Guidelines for the food, beverage, cosmetics, garments and 
textile, and other concerned industries on the preparation, handling, storage and 
verification of Halal products to serve as basic requirements for certification including 
Halaf abattoirs, outlets and other service establishments: 
a. The food or product or their ingredient must not contain any components of 
animals and carrion that are prohibited under Shariah Law or animals that 
are not slaughtered according to Shariah Law. 
b. The food or product does not contain ingredients that are considered 
Haram or Najis by Shariah Law. 
equipment that has been contaminated with Haram or Najis 
d. During its preparation, processing, storage or transportation, the food or 
product is fully separated from, and does not come in contact with, any 
c. The food or product is not prepared, processed or manufactured using 
3 


other food or product that has been decreed Haram or Najis by Shariah 
Law or does not meet the requirements stated in items (a), (b) or (c) 
above. 
e. Service establishments such as, but not limited to, hotels, restaurants, 
resorts and similar service facilities purposely established for and catering 
to the public, particularly Muslim patrons; and abattoirs, factories, and 
similar establishments purposely producing Halal goods shall conform to 
the Philippine National Standards for Halal as provided for under Section 
12 of this Act. 
f. Labels of products that are certified Halal shall contain the word "Halal" or 
its equivalent term and should not be used in ways which could give rise 
to doubt about the safety of similar food or to claims that Halal foods are 
nutritionally superior to, or healthier than, other foods. 
These guidelines shall be used together with the country's existing provisions 
of law on the preparation, processing, manufacturing of food and non-food and other 
products in accordance with health, hygiene and sanitation standards and good 
manufacturing practices. 
SEC. 5. Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulatory Board- There is 
hereby created a Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulatory Board, hereinafter 
referred to as the Board. 
The Board shall be primarily responsible for the formulation, management 
and implementation of the Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulation Standards 
in the country. It shall be attached to the Office of the President and shall be 
composed of the Governing Council, Accreditation Committee and the Board 
Secretariat. 
SEC. 6. Governing Council - The Governing Council shall be composed of 
the following: 
a. 
Two (2) Muslim scholars appointed by the President upon the 
recommendation of the concerned Islamic organizations; 
b. 
Secretary of Trade and Industry or his duly authorized representative; 
c. 
Secretary of Agriculture or his duly authorized representative; and 
d. 
Executive Director of the Office on Muslim Affairs or his duly 
authorized representative. The two (2) Muslim scholars shall serve for a term 
of two (2) years and may be re-appointed by the President; Provided, That 
4 


no person may be appointed to serve for more than fwo (20 consecutive 
terms. 
The Governing Council shall be healed by the Secretary of Trade and 
Industry as Chairman and a Co-Chairman who shall be appointed by the President 
from the two (2) Muslim scholar members of the Governing Council. 
SEC. 7. Powers and Functions of the Governing Council -The Governing 
Council shall have the following powers and functions: 
a. 
b. 
C. 
d. 
e. 
f. 
g. 
h. 
I. 
j. 
Promulgate rules and regulations as are necessary or proper for the 
accomplishment 
of its purposes and objectives, including guidelines and 
standards for the board's operation and the success of the Halal voluntary 
accreditation and regulation scheme; 
Issue criteria to be used in the assessment and review for the voluntary 
accreditation of applicant Islamic organization. 
Supervise, regulate and grant, deny or cancel Halal accreditation of any 
Islamic organization or order its temporary suspension for failure to comply 
with or violation of the provisions of this Act, or any law, order, rules or 
regulations, whenever such action is necessary to the best interest of the 
public; 
Investigate, decide and settle all complaints, controversies or disputes arising 
out of or connected with Halal system in accordance with the rules and 
procedures that may be adopted; 
Levy, assess and collect, and periodically adjust andlor revise the rates of 
fees and charges for the issuance of accreditation; 
Oversee the funds for the operation of the Board; 
Establish and prescribe policies on complaints and appeals regarding 
accreditation activities; 
Represent the Philippines in regional or international meetings; 
Form committee(s) the Board on technical matters; and 
Perform such other powers and functions as may be prescribed by law, or as 
may be necessary, incidental or proper its mandate. 
In the event that an Islamic organization lodges an appeal against any 
accreditation-related decision of the Board, the Governing Council shall establish a 
three-man panel. 
5 


SEC. 8. Accreditation Committee - The Board shall have an Accreditation 
Committee with five (5) members appointed by the Governing Council. It shall be 
composed of three (3) Muslim scholars and two (2) qualified technical personnel. 
The three (3) Muslim scholars shall come from different Muslim religious 
organizations. The two (2) technical personnel shall come from and the National 
Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) ofthe Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of 
Food and Drugs (BFAD) of the Department of Health, and other government 
agencies as may be required. 
SEC. 9. Functions of the Accreditation Committee - The Accreditation 
Committee shall have the following functions: 
a. 
b. 
Assist in the formulation of accreditation policies and guidelines; 
Ensure strict implementation and compliance with Halal accreditation criteria 
by applicant Islamic organizations. 
c. 
Conduct technical briefings to applicants for Halal accreditation; 
d. 
Review assessment reports submitted by the accreditation assessment 
division; 
Recommend to the Executive Director the granting or refusal of accreditation 
to applicant Islamic organizations; and 
Assist the Executive Director and the Secretariat of the Board as may be 
required. 
e. 
f. 
SEC. IO. Board Secretariat - The Board shall have a Secretariat which shall 
furnish the necessary administrative, secretariat and other support services and 
other support services to the Board. The Secretariat shall be under the direction and 
supervision of the Executive Director appointed by the President upon the 
recommendation of the Governing Council. The personnel of the Secretariat shall be 
appointed, and their compensation fixed by the Governing Council upon the 
recommendation of the Executive Director in Accordance with Civil Service laws, 
rules and regulations. 
The Assessment Division shall be composed of qualified assessors to be 
employed by the Board or may be contracted from other non-governmental 
organization or government agencies, depending upon the availability of qualified 
personnel within the Board to perform such function. 
The Operations Division shall be responsible for the administrative and 
financial functions of the Board as may be assigned by the Executive Director. 
6 


SEC. I'l. 
Executive Director; Duties and Responsibilities - The Executive 
Director shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 
a. 
Execute, direct and implement the policies, regulations and resolutions issued 
by the Board; 
Sign under authority of the Governing Council accreditation certificates issued 
to Islamic Organization. 
c. 
Supervise the Board Secretariat and maintain official records, files and 
proceedings of the Board; and 
d. 
Perform other duties as may be required by the Board. 
b. 
SEC. 12. Philippine National Standards for Halal - The system guidelines 
established by the Board shall be called the Philippine National Standards for Halal 
hereinafter referred to as the PNS for Halal. 
The PNS for Halal shall provide the specific guidelines for a comprehensive 
and integrated Philippine Halal system that will govern the extraction, preparation, 
processing, manufacture and production, packaging, labeling, transportation, 
storage, marketing and distribution of Halal foods and products as well as the 
certification of Halal abattoirs, outlets, hotels, restaurants and other service 
establishments. 
The PSN for Halal shall conform to existing international Halal standards, 
where applicable, and guidelines on Halal shall be the basis for a voluntary 
accreditation system: Provided, That the Board shall submit the Standards to the 
Bureau of Product Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry for 
promulgation as the official Philippine National Standards for Halal. 
Provided, further, That the Board shall submit a final copy of the Philippine 
National Standards for Halal to the Official Gazette for publication. 
SEC. 13. Sanctions - The Board shall be empowered to formulate rules and 
regulations and impose sanctions to ensure compliance the Philippine Halal System: 
Provided, That the Board shall take into consideration the pertinent provisions of 
Republic Act No. 4109 otherwise known as the Bureau of Standards Law in the 
formulation and eventual implementation of said rules and regulations. 
7 


Provided, further, that the Board, in the formulation of said rules and 
regulations and imposition of sanctions, shall maintain the voluntary character of the 
Halal accreditation system. 
SEC. 14. Transition Period - There shall be a transition period of two (2) 
years wherein personnel from the Department of Trade and Industry shall be utilized 
to exercise the functions of the Secretariat. The amount necessary shall be charged 
against the current appropriation agencies: Provided, That after such period, the 
amount necessary for its continued implementation shall be appropriated and 
charged against the General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 15. Office - The Board shall hold office at the Department of Trade and 
Industry during the transition period or until such time that a permanent office for the 
Board is established. 
SEC. 16. Congressional Oversight Committee - Two (2) years from the 
effectivity of this Act, a Congressional Oversight Committee composed of the Senate 
Committees on Trade and Commerce, Agriculture and Food, Cultural Communities, 
and Finance, and the House of Representatives’ Committees on Trade and Industry, 
Agriculture and Food, Muslim Affairs, and Appropriations shall be constituted for the 
purpose of evaluating the implementation of the Philippine Halal system under the 
supervision of the Board and if warranted, recommend the appropriate legislative 
measures to support, complement, supplement or amend this Act. 
SEC. 17. Implementing Rules - The Department of Trade and Industry, in 
coordination with the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the Bureau of 
Food and Drugs (BFAD) and other concerned government and non-government 
organizations, shall, within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the enforcement of the 
provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 18. Separability Clause - Should any provision of this Act be 
subsequently declared unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall 
remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 19. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations, or any part thereof, which are inconsistent herewith, are hereby 
repealed or amended accordingly. 
8 


SEC. 20. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in newspaper of general circulation in the 
Philippines. 
Approved, 
9