Introduction

1. Support staff shall likewise be created to assist the Board and the committees in the discharge of its function. The certifying body, also referred to as” The Authority”, will be private-led and shall assume a legal status by registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a non-governmental entity and shall seek recognition from the ARG for appropriate mandate, support, and recognition. The Composition of the MMHCBi : 1 .DarulIftah >Muftis >Shariah Experts 2. Field of Sciences(Pool of Muslim experts) > Medical > Chemistry >Veterinary > Engineering > Food Date and Place of Launching: Oct. 16,2006 @ Dusit Hotel, Makati, Philippines Sponsored by the LGSPA-Canada. Based: Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Area Covered: Philippines The Bpard of Directors Six (6) Islamic Scholars,Five (5) Shari’ah Experts One (1) Doctor of Medicine, One (1) Veterinarian One (1) Chemist/Chemical Engineer, One (1) Food Scientist( Ph.D in Food Science,UP). Composition of Provincial Committee Chairman - Provincial Mufti Vice-Chairman - Technical Staff Members 2 Islamic/Shariah Scholar 3-Doctor of Medicine/Vet ,Food Technologist/Nutritionist/Pharmacist. Introduction The members attended trainings on HACCP, GMP and GAP. Familiarization tours were done in Thailand , Malaysia and Brunei which were culminated into the signing of Memorandum of Understandings between the Board and the Islamic Committee of Thailand and the Halal Development Corporation of Malaysia in the fields of Capacity Development, Products Promotion and Tarde and Certification. For the consumer, the benefits of halal certification are clear: knowing a product is halal-certified means he or she does not have to bother checking all the ingredients. The consumer can purchase the product with the assurance it does not contain anything that is haram or doubtful. What about the producer? What benefits does the producer receive from halal certification? Actually, the benefits for the producer are just as great. Further, halal certification provides an independent third party,endorser quality assurance step valued by conscientious consumers. The certifiers must possessed expertise in every facets of Sharia and Technical know-how with highly spiritual and moral obligations considering that they are the one accountable in the eyes of God. The Strategic Approaches • The Certifying Body, as a way to enhance its capacity and to live up to its commitment to the Ummah, shall endeavor to adopt the following 7-point strategic agenda: • Shall make full use of science and technology in detecting haram and harmful ingredients • 2)Shall seek collaborative agreement with various institutions and organizations, both private and government. (Including academe.) • 3)Shall enlist the expertise of Muslims (and non-Muslims when necessary) known for their knowledge and expertise • 4)Shall either create an in-house research team or make full use of facilities and personnel of cooperating institutions in its continuing research on halal works. • 5)Shall establish close consultation and seek guidance with the Islamic Fiqh Academy (S.A.), Islamic Academy of Sciences (Jordan), World Health Organization, Codex Alimentarius Commission, and others • 6)Shall endeavor to establish its own laboratory facilities to enhance its technical capacity and competence in assessing products brought to its attention for ruling and/or approval; • 7)Shall institute continuing education program for the consumers in the form of seminars and workshops and others. • . The Certifying Board The Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Inc. as a joint creation of the DTI-ARMM, ARMM Business Council, and the Darul Ifta, shall be the non-government organization that will assume full responsibility in ensuring that food (and non-food) products being produced, catered, served, or distributed in the region or elsewhere(Local or Abroad) are Halal-compliant or acceptable for the Muslims to consume.( for those certified establishments by the board) The Board will certify products and services and accredit facilities, which are deemed in full compliance with Halal regulations. Its services as a certifying body extend to products that are likewise produced and circulated in other parts of the country where its stamp of approval is sought. The Board shall be composed of 15 members to be based at the central office in Cotabato City while a 7-person certifying committee shall be established in each of the provinces within ARMM. Both the board and the committees will have its own pool of trained inspectors and auditors who can be called upon by the Board and the committees, respectively, when the need arises. Exposures and Trainings The Members were undergone dry run Halal Auditing and Inspection under the auspices of LGSPA-Canada from various local Food and Non-food establishments such as Nestle Phils.,Bounty Fresh Chicken, Magnolia Dressing Plant, Tuna Processing plant,,Marco Polo Hotel, Davao Doctors, Jolibee Commissary, B-Meg Feed Plant and other big companies. -The Board is now a member of Int.Halal Integrity Alliance. The Devine Guidance The following Qur’anic injunctions and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shall guide the Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board in the conduct of its responsibilities:

2. The Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board,Inc.(MMHCBI) • "Whatever lofty or superior spiritual ranks obtained was by virtue of exercising care in what went into the stomach“(Sahih Muslim) • "Abstention from doubtful things is the best of Deen“(Sahih Muslim) • The Prophet (SAW) told the Companions to use "anything that releases the blood, and mention the Name of Allah over it, but do not use a tooth or a nail, for a tooth is bone, and nails are the knives of the Ethiopians." (SahihsBukhari and Muslim ) • "You can eat the meat of animals whose blood gushes out and the name of Allah is mentioned when they slaughtered." (Muslim) . • The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) prohibited eating the meat , and drinking milk of animal that feeds on filth(najis)jalalah.(Sunan Abu DawoodAklat 27, Numero 3776). • “ I do not eat anything which you slaughter in the name of your Idols(nusub). I eat only those (animals) on which Allah’s name has been mentioned at the time of slaughtering” (Sahih Al-Bukharie) • From Glorious Qur’an: • يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ كُلُواْ مِمَّا فِي ٱلأَرْضِ حَلاَلاً طَيِّباً وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ ٱلشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ • Oh ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of satan for he is to you an avowed enemy. (Al Bakhara 2:168) • “And eat not of that whereon Allah’s name hath not been mentioned, for lo! It is abomination. Lo! the devils do inspire their minions to dispute with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in truth idolaters.”(Al An Nam 6:121) • “So take the name of Allah upon them (at the time of slaughter) while they stand on lines” (Al-Hajj 22:36) • From SahisAhadith: • Both legal(halal) and illegal(haram) things are evident but in between there are doubtful(unclear) things, most people have no knowledge about them. So, whomsoever saves himself from those unclear things, he saves his religion and his honour, and those who settles on to it , settles on haram ”. (SahiBukhari) • "Allah and His Apostle made illegal or haram the trade of alcohol, dead animals, pigs and idols.“ People asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What about the fat of dead animals, for it was used for greasing the boats and the hides; and people use fats for lights(candle)?" He said, "No, it is haram." Allah's Apostle further said, "May Allah curse the Jews, for Allah made the fat (of animals) illegal for them, yet they melted the fat and sold it and ate its price.“( SahihBukhari) • "There will come a time upon my people that they will not concerned what they consumed or earned. It will not matter to them whether it is halal or haram. When such a time appear, none of their good deeds will be accepted.”(SahihBukharie) • “I swear by Allah (SWT) in whose hands is my life. When a person eats a tiny piece of an item which is haram, none of his good deeds are accepted by Allah (SWT) for forty days. When the flesh of the body is built from haram then his body only deserves the hell fire.” (Sahih Muslim) • "It is better for you to consume sand rather than eating anything Haraam“(SahihMuslim). The Fees and others • The collection of fees is very minimal since the board is a non-profit organization: • A non refundable Php 200 upon filing of application. • Certification Fees ranges from Php 1,500-Php 10,000, (Php 46/ USD 1)depending on the sizes and types of business and must be renewed yearly of same amount. • Inspection fee of Php 300 to Php 900 per Halal Auditor depending on the distance of the establishment applying halal certification.(inspection done per renewal).2-3 H.A. • Accommodation and transportation including meals must be borne by the establishment. Plus Lab Analysis. • Establishment must hire (or within their workers)Halal Assurance and Monitoring Officer that should be screened and appointed by the board and willing for monthly and unannounce or surprise inspection by the Board. • Where are the Fees Collected Spend by the Board? • -Operations of the Board • -For Charity Institutions • -Full or Partial Scholarships on Halal Science • -Free Medical and Veterinary Outreaches. • -Food items for displaced families due to man-made or natural calamities. • -Info-Advocacies(Print,Broadcast and Symposia). • - Book of Account is open for public scrutiny during Gen. Assembly Meeting for the sake of Transparency. “For the Sake of Deen, Health and the Consumers ,In Halal Certification, There is no Compromise” By: DR. NORODIN A. KUIT(Vet) Halal Lead Auditor-MMHCBI Chief, Livestock Division-DA-ARMM 09263431462 drkuit@yahoo.com