HALAL, the Arabic word for everything permissible, for the Muslims it’s anything without pork or things that are according to the Qur’an is Haram.

Since Islam is the fastest growing religion, non-Muslims are curious on anything Islamic and Halal became uniting factor between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. Nowadays not just Muslim dominated countries or Muslim countries practice Halal because of its holistic benefits.

In the non-Muslim majority countries Halal is seen only in food but actually Halal is Pharmaceuticals, Medicine, tourism, Media and last December 14 2021, the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) held a virtual 2021 Technology Offering with the title: Let’s Talk Jamiil: Halal Personal Care (Exploring the Muslim world of Beauty).

The activity has showcased Halal compliant beauty products of the ITDI such as moisturizing lipstick, lip balm, whitening toothpaste, moisturizing and whitening soap and a shampoo with hair growing properties.

The products are formulated according to the Malaysian Standards 2634: 2019 Halal Cosmetics General Requirements and following good manufacturing practices in ensuring safety and quality on product development processes.

The 2021 Technology Offering of the ITDI: Halal Personal Care Collection encourage everyone in the local industry regardless of Muslims or not to partake in what the technology has to offer anyway living beautiful and healthy is achievable through ITDI’s Halal compliant products.

www.dzmjonline.net a Muslim owned online news portal covering ITDI asked the if there were even pork DNA on the cosmetic products which can cause it to be Haram, Dr. Anthony Sales assures that with four existing Halal laboratories of the DOST, both swine DNA and ethanol are detected and removed and the laboratories are at par with the Malaysian standards.

Present in the activity were DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Pena, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara and DOST HALAL Program Leader DOST 11 Director Dr. Anthony Sales.

Along with ITDI Director Dr. Annabelle V. Briones, ITDI Deputy Director for research and Development Dr. Christine Marie C. Montessa, ITDI Deputy Director for Administrative and Technical Services Dr. Zorayda V. Ang also with guest speakers from the industry namely Dr. Dave D. Centeno, a cooperator and Monica Ronda, the technology adapter, she relates her experiences adapting the technology and consequently encouraging others to follow.

In the Muslim world, Halal is a way of life, though most Muslima wear either Hijab, NIcab, Burqa and here in the Philippines the “Kumbong”, women and girls regardless of faith likes to be pampered and kept beautiful.///Mj Olvina-Balaguer, 09053611058, maryjaneolvina@gmail.com and konekted@dzmjonline.net DZMJ ONLINE MAKABULUHANG JORNALISMO YOUR HAPPINESS CHANNEL

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