SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. _3=.=1:..:;2::..-
Introduced by Senator Cynthia A. Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Sl'mdr 
If£iHi~:r Ilf HIt jl'(Yl"t~r1! 
'13 
JUL -'2 A 9 :56 
.'/ HY:-f-
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. 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. _3_1_2_ 
Introduced by Senator Cynthia A. Villar 
AN ACT 
Senllir 
(tff,;, or l~. ~.",.tnr~ 
'13 
JUL -2 
1\ 9 :56 
2 
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE HALAL ACCREDITATION AND REGULATORY 
3 
BOARD AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
4 
5 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
6 
Congress assembled: 
7 
8 
SECTION 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Halal Act". 
9 
10 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - It is the policy of the State to protect the interest 
11 
for clean and pure food. Towards this end, the State shall ensure compliance with 
12 
international 
standards 
of 
good 
manufacturing 
and 
hygienic 
practices 
by 
13 
institutionalizing a Halal system for food, non-food products and services, in response to 
14 
the growing demands for Halal products both in the local and internationall1larket. 
15 
16 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms -As used in this Act: 
17 
18 
a. Sharia'h Law - means the Islamic law based on the AI-Quran, AI-hadith 
19 
(Traditions of the Messenger of Allah), Ijma (Consensus of Islamic Scholars) and Qiyas 
20 
(Legal Deduction or Analogy) according to the Shafei or anyone of the Hanafi, Maliki or 
21 
Hanbali Schools of Thought which have been practiced by countries where these 
22 
guidelines have been implemented. 
23 
24 
b. Halal- means "lawful," as pertaining to food and other products for human 
25 
consumption and services permitted under Sharia'h Law. 
26 
27 
c. Haram - means "unlawful", as pertaining to food, beverage and other products 
28 
not allowed for human consumption such as carrion, najis, intoxicating preparations 
29 
containing alcohol as well as services prohibited under Sharia'h Law. 
30 
31 
d. Halal system - means the comprehensive systems, standards and procedures 
32 
providing the mechanism for the development, promotion, monitoring and regulation of 
33 
halal trade. 
34 
35 
e. Accreditation -the procedure by which an authoritative body grants formal 
36 
recognition, under duly established guidelines and rules, to another body that it is 
37 
competent to carry out specific tasks. 
38 
39 
f. Certification - third party attestation related to products, processes, systems, 
40 
or persons. 
41 


1 
g. Islamic organization - means qualified Muslim organization engaged in the 
2 
inspection, audit and Halal certification of food and non-food products, establishments 
3 
and services. 
4 
h. Carrion - as defined by Sharia'h Law, means the flesh of swine, dogs, cats, 
5 
reptiles, amphibians and predatory animals; flesh of dead animals that have been 
6 
sacrificed to idols; blood; flesh partly consumed by beasts and birds of prey; and dead 
7 
or decaying flesh of animals felled by strangulation, beating or goring. 
8 
9 
i. Najis - as defined by Sharia'h Law, means things that are themselves filthy and 
10 
cannot be cleaned like pork, blood and carrion, as well as lawful food that has been 
11 
contaminated or has come in contact with filth. 
12 
13 
SEC. 4. General Guidelines - For the purpose of this Act, the following are 
14 
established General Guidelines for the food, beverage, cosmetics, garments and textile, 
15 
and other concerned industries on the preparation, handling, storage and verification of 
16 
Halal products to serve as basic requirements for certification including Halal abattoirs, 
17 
outlets and other service establishments: 
18 
19 
a. The food or product or their ingredient must not contain any components of 
20 
animals and carrion that are prohibited under Sharia'h Law or animals that 
21 
are not slaughtered according to Sharia'h Law. 
22 
23 
b. The food or product does not contain ingredients that are considered Haram or 
24 
Najis by Sharia'h Law. 
25 
26 
c. The food or product is not prepared, processed or manufactured using 
27 
equipment that has been contaminated with Haram or Najis. 
28 
29 
d. During its preparation, processing, storage or transportation, the food or 
30 
product is fully separated from, and does not come in contact with, any other 
31 
food or product that has been decreed Haram or Najis by Sharia'h Law or 
32 
does not meet the requirements stated in items (a), (b) or (c) above. 
33 
34 
e. Service establishments such as, but not limited to, hotels, restaurants, resorts 
35 
and similar service facilities purposely established for and catering to the 
36 
public, particularly Muslim patrons; and abattoirs, factories, and similar 
37 
establishments purposely producing Halal goods shall conform to the 
38 
Philippine National Standards for Halal as provided for under Section 12 of 
39 
this Act. 
40 
41 
f. Labels of products that are certified Halal shall contain the word "Halal" or its 
42 
equivalent term and should not be used in ways which could give rise to 
43 
doubt about the safety of similar food or to claims that Halal foods are 
44 
nutritionally superior to, or healthier than, other foods. 
45 
46 
These guidelines shall be used together with the country's existing provisions of 
47 
law on the preparation, processing, manufacturing of food and non-food and other 
48 
products in accordance with health, hygiene and sanitation standards and good 
49 
manufacturing practices. 
50 
51 
52 
SEC. 5. Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulatory Board- There is 
53 
hereby created a Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulatory Board, hereinafter 
54 
referred to as the Board. 
55 
56 
The Board shall be primarily responsible for the formulation, management and 
57 
implementation of the Philippine Halal Accreditation and Regulation Standards in the 
2 


country. It shall be attached to the Office of the President and shall be composed of the 
2 
Governing Council, Accreditation Committee and the Board Secretariat. 
3 
4 
SEC. 6. Governing Council - The Governing Council shall be composed of the 
5 
following: 
6 
7 
a. 
Two 
(2) 
Muslim 
scholars 
appointed 
by 
the 
President upon 
the 
8 
recommendation of the concerned Islamic organizations; 
9 
10 
b. 
Secretary of Trade and Industry or his duly authorized representative; 
11 
12 
c. 
Secretary of Agriculture or his duly authorized representative; and 
13 
14 
d. 
Executive Director of the Office on Muslim Affairs or his duly authorized 
15 
representative. The two (2) Muslim scholars shall serve for a term of two (2) 
16 
years and may be re-appointed by the President; Provided, That no person 
17 
may be apPOinted to serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms. 
18 
19 
The Governing Council shall be headed by the Secretary of Trade and Industry 
20 
as Chairman and a Co-Chairman who shall be appointed by the President from the two 
21 
(2) Muslim scholar members of the Governing Council. 
22 
23 
SEC. 7. Powers and Functions of the Governing Council -The Governing 
24 
Council shall have the following powers and functions: 
25 
, 
26 
a. Promulgate rules and regulations as are necessary or proper for the 
27 
accomplishment of its purposes and objectives, including guidelines and 
28 
standards for the board's operation and the success of the Halal voluntary 
29 
accreditation and regulation scheme; 
30 
31 
b. Issue criteria to be used in the assessment and review for the voluntary 
32 
accreditation of applicant Islamic organization; 
33 
34 
c. Supervise, regulate and grant, deny or cancel Halal accreditation of any Islamic 
35 
organization or order its temporary suspension for failure to comply with or 
36 
violation of the provisions of this Act, or any law, order, rules or regulations, 
37 
whenever such action is necessary to the best interest of the public; 
38 
39 
d. Investigate, decide and settle all complaints, controversies or disputes arising out 
40 
of or connected with Halal system in accordance with the rules and procedures 
41 
that may be adopted; 
42 
43 
e. Levy, assess and collect, and periodically adjust and/or revise the rates of fees 
44 
and charges for the issuance of accreditation; 
45 
46 
f. 
Oversee the funds for the operation of the Board; 
47 
48 
g. Establish and 
prescribe policies on complaints and appeals regarding 
49 
accreditation activities; 
50 
51 
h. Represent the Philippines in regional or international meetings; 
52 
53 
i. 
Form committee(s) the Board on technical matters; and 
54 
55 
j. 
Perform such other powers and functions as may be prescribed by law, or as 
56 
may be necessary, incidental or proper its mandate. 
57 
3 


In the event that an Islamic organization lodges an appeal against any 
2 
accreditation-related decision of the Board, the Governing Council shall establish a 
3 
three-man panel. 
4 
5 
SEC. 8. Accreditation Committee - The Board shall have an Accreditation 
6 
Committee with five (5) members appointed by the Governing Council. It shall be 
7 
composed of three (3) Muslim scholars and two (2) qualified technical personnel. The 
8 
three (3) Muslim scholars shall come from different Muslim religious organizations. The 
9 
two (2) technical personnel shall come from and the National Meat Inspection Service 
10 
(NMIS) of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) of 
11 
the Department of Health, and other government agencies as may be required. 
12 
\3 
SEC. 9. Functions of the Accreditation Committee - The Accreditation 
14 
Committee shall have the following functions: 
15 
16 
a. Assist in the formulation of accreditation policies and guidelines; 
17 
b. Ensure strict implementation and compliance with Halal accreditation criteria by 
18 
applicant Islamic organizations; 
19 
c. Conduct technical briefings to applicants for Halal accreditation; 
20 
d. Review assessment reports submitted by the accreditation assessment division; 
21 
e. Recommend to the Executive Director the granting or refusal of accreditation to 
22 
applicant Islamic organizations; and 
23 
f. 
Assist the Executive Director and the Secretariat of the Board as may be 
24 
required. 
25 
26 
SEC. 10. Board Secretariat - The Board shall have a Secretariat which shall 
27 
furnish the necessary administrative, secretariat and other support services and other 
28 
support services to the Board. The Secretariat shall be under the direction and 
29 
supervision of the Executive Director appointed by the President upon the 
30 
recommendation of the Governing Council. The personnel of the Secretariat shall be 
31 
appOinted, and their compensation fixed by the Governing Council upon the 
32 
recommendation of the Executive Director in accordance with Civil Service laws, rules 
33 
and regulations. 
34 
35 
The Assessment Division shall be composed of qualified assessors to be 
36 
employed by the Board or may be contracted from other non-governmental 6rganization 
37 
or government agencies, depending upon the availability of qualified pers0nnel within 
38 
the Board to perform such function. 
39 
40 
The Operations Division shall be responsible for the administrative and financial 
41 
functions of the Board as may be assigned by the Executive Director. 
42 
43 
SEC. 11. Executive Director; Duties and Responsibilities - The Executive 
44 
Director shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 
45 
46 
a. Execute, direct and implement the policies, regulations and resolutions issued 
47 
by the Board; 
48 
b. Sign under authority of the Governing Council accreditation certificates issued to 
49 
Islamic Organization; 
4 


c. Supervise the Board Secretariat and maintain official records, files and 
2 
proceedings of the Board; and 
3 
d. Perform other duties as may be required by the Board. 
4 
SEC. 12. Philippine National Standards for Halal - The system guidelines 
5 
established by the Board shall be called the Philippine National Standards for Halal 
6 
hereinafter referred to as the PNS for Halal. 
7 
8 
The PNS for Halal shall provide the specific guidelines for a comprehensive and 
9 
integrated Philippine Halal system that will govern the extraction, preparation, 
10 
processing, manufacture and production, packaging, labeling, transportation, storage, 
11 
marketing and distribution of Halal foods and products as well as the certification of 
12 
Halal abattoirs, outlets, hotels, restaurants and other service establishments. 
13 
14 
The PNS for Halal shall conform to existing international Halal standards, where 
15 
applicable, and guidelines on Halal shall be the basis for a voluntary accreditation 
16 
system: Provided, That the Board shall submit the Standards to the Bureau of Product 
17 
Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry for promulgation as the official 
18 
Philippine National Standards for Halal. 
19 
20 
Provided, further, That the Board shall submit a final copy of the Philippine 
21 
National Standards for Halal to the Official Gazette for publication. 
22 
23 
SEC. 13. Sanctions - The Board shall be empowered to formulate rules and 
24 
regulations and impose sanctions to ensure compliance the Philippine Halal System: 
25 
Provided, That the Board shall take into consideration the pertinent provisions of 
26 
Republic Act No. 4109 otherwise known as the Bureau of Standards Law in the 
27 
formulation and eventual implementation of said rules and regulations. 
28 
29 
Provided, further, that the Board, in the formulation of said rules and regulations 
30 
and imposition of sanctions, shall maintain the voluntary character of the Halal 
31 
accreditation system. 
32 
33 
SEC. 14. Transition Period - There shall be a transition period of two (2) years 
34 
wherein personnel from the Department of Trade and Industry shall be utilized to 
35 
exercise the functions of the Secretariat. The amount necessary shall be charged 
36 
against the current appropriation agencies: Provided, That after such period, the 
37 
amount necessary for its continued implementation shall be appropriated and charged 
38 
against the General Appropriations Act. 
39 
40 
SEC. 15. Office - The Board shall hold office at the Department of Trade and 
41 
Industry during the transition period or until such time that a permanent office for the 
42 
Board is established. 
43 
44 
SEC. 16. Congressional Oversight Committee - Two (2) years from the 
45 
effectivity of this Act, a Congressional Oversight Committee composed of the Senate 
46 
Committees on Trade and Commerce, Agriculture and Food, Cultural Communities, and 
47 
Finance, and the House of Representatives' Committees on Trade and Industry, 
48 
Agriculture and Food, Muslim Affairs, and Appropriations shall be constituted for the 
49 
purpose of evaluating the implementation of the Philippine Halal system under the 
50 
supervision of the Board and if warranted, recommend the appropriate legislative 
51 
measures to support, complement, supplement or amend this Act. 
52 
53 
SEC. 17. Implementing Rules - The Department of Trade and Industry, in 
54 
coordination with the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the Bureau of Food 
55 
and 
Drugs 
(BFAD) 
and 
other concerned 
government and 
non-government 
5 


------- ------------
organizations, shall, within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate 
2 
the necessary rules and regulations for the enforcement of the provisions of this Act. 
3 
4 
SEC. 18. Separability Clause - Should any provision of this Act be subsequently 
5 
declared unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain in full force 
6 
and effect. 
7 
8 
SEC. 19. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or 
9 
any part thereof, which are inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed or amended 
10 
accordingly. 
11 
12 
SEC. 20. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
13 
publication in the Official Gazette or in newspaper of general circulation in the 
14 
Philippines. 
15 
16 
17 
18 
Approved, 
6