Bangsamoro Artisans Join Philippine Push to Enter Global Halal Market
The three-day Halal Expo Philippines, which ended on Saturday, gathered more than 100 small businesses producing halal-certified products, Arab News reported on Saturday.
The event is part of a national strategy to position the country within the multi-trillion-dollar global halal market.
Bangsamoro, the only Muslim-majority region in the Philippines, used the exhibition to highlight both its craftsmanship and its evolving economic landscape.
A senior trade official from the Bangsamoro government, Malano Mai, said that “these are the products of the indigenous, mostly women … Through this expo, we’re hoping that our products will get noticed.”
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The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, established in 2019 after decades of conflict, is also seeking to reshape public perceptions.
Mai noted that the region wants to move beyond its history of unrest and present itself as peaceful, culturally rich and capable of producing competitive goods for international markets.
Muslims constitute around 10 percent of the Philippines’ 120 million people, most of whom live in Bangsamoro’s provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
With the unified theme “Choose Bangsamoro,” the regional booth displayed data-x-items featuring traditional colors and motifs. Mai said yellow is viewed as a symbol of royalty, while the curves in malong patterns represent water, reflecting the heritage of the Maranao people.
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Artisans such as Sittiwanhar Mugung from Tawi-Tawi said the products on display were meaningful to the community.
She said that the handmade embroidery and woven pieces express cultural identity and demonstrate the skill of local creators.
Source: Agencies
