Davao City council approves ‘Muslim-friendly’ halal food ordinance

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The City Council of Davao City unanimously approved an ordinance mandating the segregation of halal food from non-halal food in the market. 

The 17th city council on its regular session on Tuesday, April 19, approved the measure.

Councilor Halila Sudagar, chairperson of the Committee on Cultural communities and Muslim Affairs, called it a “Muslim-friendly ordinance.” 

“We are so proud that Davao City in the only city in the Philippines able to pass an ordinance segregating Halal products, I am sure it will increase the awareness of the people on the principles and concepts of Halal,” Sudagar added.

“The purpose of the ordinance is to promote, protect, and respect the religious belief, customs and traditions of our Muslim community in Davao City in their sacred concept of halal and to ensure the spiritual purity and cleanliness on their food consumption,” the ordinance read.

How this works

All grocery stores and other establishments selling raw fish, seafood, meats, processed meat, and other meat products – including suppliers – are now mandated to segregate halal food from non-halal/haram food items, from delivery to storage, display weighing, slicing, and carrying through baskets, carts, or trolleys.

Section 6 of the ordinance said suppliers and owners of grocery stores or supermarkets, through their managers, staff, and tenants should provide separate storage units, containers, or freezers exclusively for halal food items and halal-certified meat products.

The ordinance will be forwarded to the executive department for review this week.

Based on the ordinance, all supermarkets in the city will be required to provide a separate payment counter called as “halal lane” for the final packing of the halal food.

Among the prohibited acts in said ordinance include improper covering or sealing of halal products, mixing of halal with non-halal products, and any failures to provide a space in the payment counter in the market.

Establishments that violate the ordinance will be fined between P500 and P1,000. Penalties for second-time offenders hovers from P1,000 to P3,000 pesos and the possibility of suspensions of the business permit and license to operate for at least three to six months. Third-time violators will be fined from P3,000 to P5,000, on top of a revocation of their business permit and license to operate. – Rappler.com

Halal food image from Shutterstock