The Cebu Provincial Government plans to establish the first halal-certified slaughterhouse in the Visayas by 2027, according to the Provincial Veterinarian Office (PVO).
Mary Rose Bahian-Vincoy, head of the PVO, said the project is part of Gov. Pamela Baricuatro's commitment to Muslim communities and efforts to strengthen partnerships with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
While the timeline has yet to be finalized, Vincoy said preparatory activities are already underway to pave the way for the facility's construction next year.
"This will be a legacy of the governor once this gets realized," she said in Cebuano.
Vincoy said the facility would be the first halal-certified slaughterhouse established by a predominantly Christian province in the country, a move she described as both inclusive and economically strategic.
Aside from serving Muslim residents, the project is expected to address the limited availability of halal-certified food products in Cebu, which she said has affected the province's ability to attract and cater to Muslim travelers.
"We have tourists who are Malaysians, Indonesians and Middle Easterns and they tend to go to other provinces because we don't have halal food here," she said.
Goals
The slaughterhouse is also expected to support the Provincial Government's efforts to strengthen food security, boost livestock production and create additional livelihood opportunities for farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
According to Vincoy, the project aligns with the administration's broader goal of improving food production while making Cebu a more inclusive and tourism-friendly destination.
A halal slaughterhouse is a facility certified to slaughter and process livestock according to Islamic dietary requirements, allowing meat products to be marketed as halal and consumed by Muslim communities.
Such facilities must comply with specific standards on animal handling, slaughter procedures and processing to meet halal regulations.
