San Fernando makes it to CNN's list of best Christmas destination

Philippines only Southeast Asian destination in list of best places for Christmas

Hoang Vu   
VN Express International
December 8, 2024 

San Fernando in the Philippines was the only Southeast Asian destination to make it onto CNN's list of 15 best places to visit for Christmas this year.

"If Asia were to have a Christmas capital, San Fernando in the heavily Roman Catholic Philippines would be a top nomination," CNN wrote.

Located northwest of Manila, San Fernando, with a population of 350,000, is known as the "Christmas Capital of the Philippines" and is famous for its annual giant lantern festival each December, where large parol (star lanterns) are displayed.

These lanterns, which come in various colors and sizes, symbolize light and hope for Filipinos.

Thousands of locals and tourists flock to the town during the Christmas season to witness the grandeur and intricacy of the giant lanterns.

"The highlight of a visit to San Fernando is the parol, a colorful, electric Christmas lantern that symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem," CNN described.

Other destinations on the list included Rovaniemi in Finland, Barcelona in Spain, Nairobi in Kenya, Nuremberg in Germany, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, and Strasbourg in France.

Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on Dec. 25 as a religious and cultural celebration by billions of people around the world.

Halal foods as a PH tourism booster

Philippines looks to ‘halal ecosystem’ to boost tourism, trade

Ellie Aben
Arab  News (Saudi Arabia)
06 July 2024

MANILA: The Philippines is developing a “halal ecosystem” to try and boost tourism and trade, according to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, as the country targets more commercial exchanges with Arab and Muslim countries.

There are only around 10 million Muslims among the nearly 120 million, predominantly Catholic, population of the Philippines, but the country is looking to expand its domestic halal industry considerably.

The government wants to raise 230 billion pesos ($4 billion) in investments and generate around 120,000 jobs by 2028 by tapping into the global halal market, which is estimated to be worth more than $7 trillion.

The NCMF, a government agency whose mandate is to promote the rights and welfare of Muslim Filipinos, is central to ensuring that the products and initiatives developed under the country’s halal drive comply with Islamic regulations.

“Since NCMF is the only (Islamic) religious institution in the government structure, NCMF should lead in the implementation of programs and activities pertaining to halal,” Sabbudin Abdurahim, the commission’s new secretary, told Arab News this week.

“The NCMF is now spearheading the implementation of programs and activities for the development ... Through collaboration with partner stakeholders, we are looking to establish a halal ecosystem in the Philippines.”

The commission is cooperating with other government agencies — including the Department of Trade, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Tourism — as the Philippines seeks to expand the market presence of its halal-certified products, which include not only food and beverage products and services, but also travel.

Since the Philippines won the Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination award at the Halal in Travel Global Summit in 2023, it has invested significantly to attract visitors from the Middle East and the nearby Muslim-majority countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, particularly by ensuring that they have access to halal products and services.

Without developing a halal ecosystem, many potential visitors from Arab and Muslim countries might choose to visit other countries like Malaysia instead, “because they are confident they can easily find halal food there, unlike in the Philippines,” Abdurahim said.

“If we have halal restaurants here in the Philippines, many visitors from Arab or Muslim countries will come here ... Our halal division is already meeting with hotels, restaurants, and other establishments (about collaborating).”

Abdurahim sees the expansion of the halal industry as beneficial for all of Philippine society.

“It will benefit not only the Muslims in the Philippines, but the economy in general,” he said.

Makati to become halal hub

Philippine capital’s financial center to become halal hub

Arab News
27 April 2024

• Makati Halal Hub to act as a platform for manufacturers, traders and consumers
• Philippines’ central business district is perceived as trendsetter for other regions

MANILA: Philippine businesses in Makati City are joining hands with the Department of Trade and Industry to make the country’s financial center a halal hub, the head of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Makati branch said on Saturday.

Makati City in Metro Manila is often referred to as the Philippines’ central business district. It has the highest concentration of banks and multinational and local corporations in the country. Foreign embassies are also based there.

The predominantly Catholic Philippines — where Muslims constitute about 10 percent of the nearly 120 million population — plans to raise 230 billion pesos ($4 billion) in investments and generate around 120,000 jobs by expanding its domestic halal industry by 2028.

The DTI signed on Friday a memorandum of understanding with PCCI Makati to join the government’s efforts to tap into the global halal market, which is estimated to be worth more than $7 trillion.

“To be able to implement its policies more effectively — such as the promotion and development of the country’s halal industry — they (the government) have to collaborate or strike a partnership with the business community or the businessmen who will be responsible in making this a reality,” PCCI Makati President Toots Cortez told Arab News.

“We can be the catalyst. We will begin by creating awareness, especially among the MSMEs (micro, small and midsize enterprises) because, according to the records of DTI, 99.5 percent of business in the Philippines are composed of SMEs.”

The agreement on establishing the Makati Halal Hub will position the city as a “central point for innovation and business in the halal sector, spanning a variety of industries including food production, financial services, and more,” the DTI said in a statement, as it expects the initiative to “provide substantial opportunities for Filipino entrepreneurs and international investors alike, fostering a robust economic ecosystem.”

According to the vision, the hub will act as a platform facilitating connections between manufacturers, traders, buyers, distributors and consumers in the halal sector.

“If we can group together and promote halal, I think that will be the best approach … You don’t need a big budget,” Cortez said.

“There are many Muslim embassies in Makati City, many restaurants and major establishments … Many tourists come to Makati, so if we can convince the establishments in Makati to be accredited as halal, that’s a good beginning from our side as a catalyst.”

He believes that the industry’s promotion in the city will make an impact as Makati is widely perceived as a trendsetter for other Philippine regions.

“The others, they follow the lead,” Cortez said. “They follow the lead on what’s happening in Makati City.”