RP PARTICIPATES AT WORLD'S LARGEST HALAL TRADE FAIR  

18 May 2007 — Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Victoriano M. Lecaros reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the 4^th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2007) was officially launched on 10 May 2007 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center , with significant participation from the Philippines .  

“MIHAS is the world's largest international halal trade fair, pioneered in 2004 and held every year to gather international halal industry players and entrepreneurs in the effort to promote the sourcing and selling of global quality halal products.  It is the world's largest halal trade fair and Malaysia 's largest food and beverage exhibition,” Ambassador Lecaros said.  

The Philippines takes a key interest in MIHAS 2007, ranking seventh among the twenty-seven participating countries in terms of number of participating companies. The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur assisted the six Philippine companies currently participating in MIHAS 2007, namely Herbal Visions International Corporation; Purefoods Hormel Company, inc.; ECJ Farms Marketing, Inc.; Ideal Macaroni & Spaghetti Factory, Inc.; TMI Food Processing & Development, Inc.; and Seacoast Top Choice Food Corporation. The Islamic Daawah Council of the Philippines is also participating in this event while representatives from Monde M.Y. San Corporation, San Miguel Foods, Inc., and Marzeil, Inc. are attending as visitors/observers.  

Prior to the officially launching of MIHAS 2007, the World Halal Forum (WHF) was also held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center from 7 to 8 May 2007.  Over 600 people from 33 countries attended the forum. The Philippines was represented in the Forum by Assistant Secretary Clayton Olalia, Director Mustapha Ismael and Director Sani Macabalang of the Department of Agriculture, Director Zenaida Haji-Raof Laidan of the Department of Science and Technology and Director Sitti Amina Jain, Ms. Suraida U. Guro of the Department of Trade and Industry and Ms. Cherry Natividad of Optiserve Technologies, Inc.  

“The business and commercial potential of the halal industry, having a market of 1.6 billion Muslims and an estimated market size of US$600 billion, is rapidly gaining attention. The Philippines has cooperation arrangements on halal certification with Malaysia , a recognized leader in the global halal industry,” Ambassador Lecaros stated.  END

/jay

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