Grab Philippines is tightening halal food verification on its platform through a pilot partnership with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Region XI, seeking to make certified halal options easier to identify for consumers in Davao City.
The initiative introduces enhanced search and filtering features on GrabFood that distinguish halal-certified and Muslim-owned restaurants, addressing concerns over the reliability of halal claims in online food ordering.
Under the partnership, Davao-based merchants must secure NCMF endorsement before being tagged as halal on GrabFood. Searches using “halal” will display only merchants vetted by recognized halal certification bodies, while the universal Philippine Halal logo will appear on merchant icons as an additional identifier.
NCMF-endorsed Muslim-owned businesses may also carry a “Muslim-owned” tag, giving them greater visibility in relevant searches.
Grab will also remove inaccurate or unsupported uses of “halal” from restaurant names as it seeks to improve the credibility of search results and give consumers greater confidence when ordering.
“Our vision is to build an inclusive platform that empowers consumers to make food choices with absolute confidence,” Grab Philippines Vice President for Cities RJ Cabaluna said.
The partnership was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed Sept. 9 in Davao City.
NCMF Region XI Regional Director Sherrila Porza-Sawah said the initiative could reduce barriers to finding certified halal food while helping Muslim-owned businesses reach more customers.
Grab and the NCMF are also exploring merchant education, consumer-awareness campaigns and capacity-building programs as they seek to strengthen Davao City’s halal food ecosystem.
The pilot could provide a model for expanding more standardized halal identification across GrabFood, potentially improving both consumer trust and market access for halal-certified and Muslim-owned merchants.
