COTABATO CITY — If Parliament Bill No. 164 passes into law, several fast food chains within Cotabato City have remarked their willingness to comply with the mandatory food labeling of their products, specifically detailing whether it contains pork or not.
On its second round of public hearings for PB No. 164, or the Bangsamoro Fast Food Labeling Act, the Committee on Trade, Investment, and Tourism involved officials and other stakeholders from various BARMM ministries and other popular food chains in Cotabato City.
A representative from the Jollibee Cotabato Group, which owns the franchise of some of popular fast food chains in Cotabato City, such as Jollibee, Greenwich, Chowking, and Red Ribbon, disclosed that they do not serve any pork-containing products, highlighting their support for PB No. 164.
Other known food chains in the city, including Mang Inasal and Goldilocks, have expressed their optimism to support the proposed measure.
Sheikh Abdulkahar Musa, designated spokesperson of the Darul Ifta, commended the move to start discussions on Halal.
“We agree that food labeling serves a critical role in informing consumers about the content and suitability of products, particularly in our region where dietary preferences and religious considerations intersect,” Atty. Sukarno Abbas said, executive director of the Bangsamoro Economic Zone Authority.
Member of the Parliament Dr. Hashemi Dilangalen, one of PB No. 164’s principal authors, explained that the proposed measure mandates the labeling of food products and condiments in fast food restaurants operating within the region.
He added that the bill specifically seeks to attain a clear and accurate labeling of food items, as well as promote transparency and build consumer trust in food security.
The bill, he further noted, is driven by five objectives, such as improved consumer trust, enhanced health security, informed dietary choice, cultural sensitivity, and regulatory compliance.
Meanwhile, CTIT Chair Marjanie Macasalong revealed that the committee is eyeing to conduct benchmarking activities in other Muslim-dominated countries to further enhance the bill. Another round of public hearing is targeted in the coming weeks for PB No. 164, with other key experts and key stakeholders participating. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
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