Halal certified. That's what I always check on the food label in grocery stores and supermarkets.
But then, I wanted to dine in a Halal-certified restaurant in Manila. The crowded, busy scene in a bustling old downtown Manila -- the Philippine capital.
Halal means 'permissible or allowed in Islam, and it is becoming a global food standard even for non-muslims.
And so last year, in 2019, I celebrated Eid in the busy district of Quiapo in downtown Manila where the Golden Mosque is located.
The mosque was commissioned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos and built-in 1976 to welcome Libyan President Gaddafi, but he couldn't visit the country.
It became a community for our Muslim brothers and sisters, where they settled and established their livelihoods.
Businesses like Halal restaurants are thriving within the vicinity of the Golden Mosque.
Halal-certified food would mean a 'clean and healthy food' without alcohol and pork-derived products.
For health reasons, animal products sometimes carry diseases transferrable to humans. Regular consumption would develop into diseases like common hypertension and high cholesterol, leading to cardiac disorders or heart ailments.
Since the pandemic, we have preferred to eat organic vegetables, which we grow on our newly developed farm. We just want a healthier body to boost our immunity to fight diseases.
Nowadays, investing in health and wellness is wise, so we're adapting health standards like Halal.
The world and humanity have to be health-conscious because now we realize how vulnerable we are to acquiring diseases if we don't practice the best health practices and lifestyles.
The taste of Eid is just as tasteful as any cuisine in the world. However, they have made it to level up on their practice of the highest health standard.
We always choose to be healthy. We choose to be well.
© 2020 Del Cusay