QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The Philippines continues to emerge as a Muslim-friendly destination, and the Department of Tourism – National Capital Region (DOT-NCR) has announced the first two Halal-certified accommodations in the Philippines, both located in Metro Manila.
During the 7th edition of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas media forum on Tuesday, DOT-NCR Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin said their department is advocating for other accommodation establishments in Metro Manila to obtain Halal certification, aligning with the DOT’s goal of making every region safe and secure for the Muslim community.
“In fact, dito lang sa (here in) NCR, we are already advocating [that] our accommodation establishment be Halal-certified,” Zabala-Batin said.
The two Halal-accredited accommodations are Dusit Thani and Berjaya, both located in Makati City.
Additionally, the DOT-NCR chief revealed that three more hotels – Makati Shangri-la, The Peninsula, and EDSA Shangri-la – are in the process of obtaining Halal certification.
Tourism Regulation Division Chief Ivannovich Agote, for his part, shared that the regional office is working on incorporating Halal accreditation parameters based on their standards, with the goal of finalizing the process soon.
“We’re really aggressive on educating the public that halal is not only for Muslims, halal is for those advocating for healthy choices,” Ivannovich Agote said.
Beyond accommodations, however, the DOT-NCR is also focused on certifying the food and beverage sector, as these are critical components in promoting Halal tourism.
By promoting and encouraging more establishments to obtain Halal accreditation from the DOT-NCR, Filipinos can be assured that the food and services offered in these accommodations and destinations are compliant with the quality outlined in the Halal standards. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
