Philippines' Financial Center Partners with Tourism Department to Become Halal Hub
Makati City collaboration with DoT aims to attract Muslim tourists and enhance trade in the halal industry.
MANILA: Philippine business leaders in Makati City are collaborating with the Department of Tourism (DoT) to transform the country's financial center into a comprehensive halal hub for both trade and tourism.
This initiative was announced by the head of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (PCCI) Makati chapter on Saturday.Makati City, located in Metro Manila, is known as the Philippines' central business district.
It houses the highest concentration of banks and corporations in the country, as well as foreign embassies.
The predominantly Catholic Philippines has a Muslim population of about 10 percent out of its nearly 120 million inhabitants.
In recent years, the Philippines has been working to raise 230 billion pesos ($4 billion) in investments and generate approximately 120,000 jobs by expanding its domestic halal industry by 2028.The DoT signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with PCCI Makati on Friday.
This MOA seeks to pool efforts and encourage the implementation of halal standards across hotels and restaurants in the city, aiming to attract Muslim tourists.
PCCI Makati President Nunnatus Cortez emphasized that this is the initial step towards turning the city into a halal hub.PCCI Makati has been instrumental in promoting efforts to establish Makati City as a central point for innovation and business in the halal sector.
The agreement follows an MOU signed with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) last year, further solidifying the city's position as a hub for the halal industry.Cortez highlighted that from the DoT's perspective, this collaboration is essential to complete the ecosystem required to support both halal trade and tourism.
The Philippines has previously been recognized as a rising Muslim-friendly destination at the Halal in Travel Global Summit.
The country has been working on catering to Muslim tourists by providing them with access to halal products and services.Makati City's strategic location near foreign embassies, including those of Muslim nations, provides it with an advantage in boosting halal travel.
Cortez believes that capturing the attention of these embassies is crucial, as foreign delegates, embassy staff, and their citizens often visit Makati, making it a starting point for their activities.The efforts to establish Makati as a halal hub are expected to have a ripple effect across the archipelago nation, as the city is widely perceived as a trendsetter.
Cortez expressed confidence that if malls and hotels become halal-compliant, other cities in the Philippines will follow suit.
The mindset behind this initiative is to create meaningful first steps towards making Makati City a central hub for both trade and tourism in the halal industry.
This initiative was announced by the head of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (PCCI) Makati chapter on Saturday.Makati City, located in Metro Manila, is known as the Philippines' central business district.
It houses the highest concentration of banks and corporations in the country, as well as foreign embassies.
The predominantly Catholic Philippines has a Muslim population of about 10 percent out of its nearly 120 million inhabitants.
In recent years, the Philippines has been working to raise 230 billion pesos ($4 billion) in investments and generate approximately 120,000 jobs by expanding its domestic halal industry by 2028.The DoT signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with PCCI Makati on Friday.
This MOA seeks to pool efforts and encourage the implementation of halal standards across hotels and restaurants in the city, aiming to attract Muslim tourists.
PCCI Makati President Nunnatus Cortez emphasized that this is the initial step towards turning the city into a halal hub.PCCI Makati has been instrumental in promoting efforts to establish Makati City as a central point for innovation and business in the halal sector.
The agreement follows an MOU signed with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) last year, further solidifying the city's position as a hub for the halal industry.Cortez highlighted that from the DoT's perspective, this collaboration is essential to complete the ecosystem required to support both halal trade and tourism.
The Philippines has previously been recognized as a rising Muslim-friendly destination at the Halal in Travel Global Summit.
The country has been working on catering to Muslim tourists by providing them with access to halal products and services.Makati City's strategic location near foreign embassies, including those of Muslim nations, provides it with an advantage in boosting halal travel.
Cortez believes that capturing the attention of these embassies is crucial, as foreign delegates, embassy staff, and their citizens often visit Makati, making it a starting point for their activities.The efforts to establish Makati as a halal hub are expected to have a ripple effect across the archipelago nation, as the city is widely perceived as a trendsetter.
Cortez expressed confidence that if malls and hotels become halal-compliant, other cities in the Philippines will follow suit.
The mindset behind this initiative is to create meaningful first steps towards making Makati City a central hub for both trade and tourism in the halal industry.
