PREDICTORS OF FILIPINO CONSUMERS’ DEMAND

FOR HALAL-CERTIFIED RESTAURANTS USING

THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR:
AWARENESS, RELIGIOSITY AND CONSUMER
CHARACTERISTICS AS MODERATORS

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

Volume: 15
Pages: 507-516
Document ID: 2023PEMJ1381
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10248036
Manuscript Accepted: 2023-14-11
Psych Educ, 2023, 15(5): 507-516, Document ID:2023 PEMJ1381, doi:10.5281/zenodo.10248036, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Predictors of Filipino Consumers’ Demand for Halal-Certified Restaurants

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior: Awareness, Religiosity and
Consumer Characteristics as Moderators
Mokhalidah O. Mulok*, Melissa B. Mangali, Safa D. Manala-O
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.
Abstract
This quantitative study aims to describe the demand for Halal-certified restaurants and identify
predictors of purchase intention among Muslim and non-Muslim Filipino consumers in Mindanao
using the Theory of Planned Behavior. This also seeks to test the moderating effects of HalaGRAMl
awareness, religiosity, and consumer characteristics on the relationships between TPB constructs.
With a snowball sampling technique, an online survey questionnaire was distributed to 300
respondents who are at least 18 years old and eat at a restaurant in Iligan City. Descriptive statistics
revealed a strong intention to purchase food or dine at a Halal-certified restaurant. PLS-SEM
findings show that this intention is strongly shaped by attitude, followed by subjective norms. On the
other hand, perceived behavioral control does not contribute to this intention. Moreover, only
religious affiliation acts as a moderator in the model, specifically on the relationship between
subjective norms and purchase intention. It conveys that attitude, social pressure, and religious
affiliation should be taken into account when promoting Halal- certified restaurants. The government
and restaurant industry players must make an effort to bring out positive evaluations of Halal and
Halal certification among different religious groups.

Keywords: halal certification, halal consumer behavior, halal tourism, halal demand

Introduction standards and other quality-related procedures, halal

The Halal industry is one of the fastest-growing
markets in the global economy. The industry's growth
can be attributed to the increasing number of Muslims
worldwide -the global Muslim population is projected
to rise from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.8 billion in 2050
(Lipka & Hackett, 2017) and the increasing popularity
of Halal among non-Muslims. Halal transcends
beyond being a religious matter and is now considered
a lifestyle. In the context of food consumption, Halal
refers to foods that are clean, healthy, and of good
quality (Khan & Haleem, 2016).
Although the concept of Halal has already been
established, the consumers’ verification of the
Halalness of a product is the difficult part. The
challenge is most especially evident in restaurants with
different suppliers and varied processes because Halal
verification should start from farm to table. Consumers
depend on labels and logos, which can only be
displayed by a Halal-certified establishment. Halal
certification in foods verifies that they are produced
following Islamic law, contain no 'forbidden'
ingredients, and have never come into contact with
anything deemed 'impure'. Research on Halal
certification in the food industry has shown that it can
increase consumer satisfaction, trust, and confidence
(Rosnan et al., 2015). Due to its high hygiene
certification has increased non-Muslims' confidence in
halal products in Malaysia (Aziz & Chok, 2013).
However, compared to Malaysia, the halal certification
phenomenon among restaurants in the Philippines is
not that strong. Atty. Linzag, the president of the
Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines, stressed in
a webinar that there is a necessity to establish a wholly
certified Muslim hotel or restaurant like that of other
non-Muslim countries (Linzag, 2021). The demand for
Halal certification in the Philippines is also yet to be
known. This makes it valuable to examine Filipino
consumers' purchase intention toward Halal-certified
restaurants and the factors influencing the intention.
Morwitz (2014) asserted that marketers utilize
consumer purchase intention to gauge future product
demand and measure how their marketing strategies
affect future sales.
Abu-Hussin et al. (2017) noted that Halal literature
gives little attention to determinants of Halal food
consumption among Muslim minorities in Asia. On
the other hand, the lack of literature about non-
Muslims' behavior towards Halal makes it imperative
to study this group, especially since they can be an
opportunity in the Halal industry. Wilkins et al. (2019)
noted that the new market share brought about by the
favorable responses of non-Muslims towards halal
products had been used by different countries in

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Research Article
developing the halal industry. Delving into the
purchase decisions of Muslim and non-Muslim
consumers will help the restaurant industry offer good
quality Halal products that can be utilized to forecast
and satisfy customers
Acas and Loanzon (2020) examined Muslim’s
behavioral intention toward Halal foods while Cruz
and Billanes (2021) focused on the online purchase
intention of non-Muslim consumers, both in the city of
Manila, Philippines. However, these studies didn’t
emphasize the certification aspect of Halal foods.
Moreover, there is a limited Halal study that examined
how socio-demographic variables moderate the
relationship between predictor and outcome variables.
According to Iranmanesh et al. (2021), the diversity of
customers allows different factors to moderate the
correlation between stimulus and consumer behavior.
Using the theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991),
this study aims to examine the demand for a Halal-
certified restaurant and identify the predictors of
purchase intention toward Halal-certified restaurants
among Muslim and non-Muslim consumers in
Mindanao, particularly in Iligan City. Additionally,
this will test the moderation effects of religiosity,
Halal certification awareness, and consumer
characteristics on the TPB model.
Research Questions
This study's primary purpose is to determine the
predictors of demand for Halal-certified restaurants
using the measure of purchase intention. Specifically,
this study sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the current level of consumer demand for
Halal-certified restaurants?
2. How do consumers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and
perceived behavioral control influence their intention
to purchase foods or dine from a Halal-certified
restaurant?
3. Do religiosity and Halal certification awareness
moderate the impact of attitude on the intention to
purchase foods or dine from a Halal-certified
restaurant?
4. How do the following socio-demographic
characteristics moderate the influence of attitude,
subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on
the intention to dine or purchase at a Halal-certified
restaurant?
4.1 Age;
4.2 Sex;
4.3 Employment status;
4.4 Religious Affiliation; and
4.5 Monthly Income?
Mulok et al.
Literature Review
Attitude and Purchase Intention
Schiffman and Kanuk (2010) defined attitude as the
reflection of an individual's favorable or unfavorable
predisposition towards an object of attitude. According
to Ajzen (1991), the more an individual expresses a
favorable attitude toward a behavior, the stronger the
individual's intention to perform such behavior
Therefore, consumers who have a positive attitude
towards Halal products will have a stronger motivation
to purchase Halal. Many researchers found a positive
and significant relationship between consumer attitude
and Halal purchase intention (Acas & Loanzon, 2020;
Amalia, et al., 2020; Aisyah et al., 2019). In the study
of Derahman et al. (2017) attitude has the biggest
impact on the intention of consumers in Malaysia to
eat at a Halal-certified restaurant in the country.
Accordingly, the following hypothesis is proposed:
H1: Attitude has a significant positive impact on the
intention to purchase foods at a Halal-certified
restaurant.
Subjective Norms and Purchase Intention
Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) described a subjective
norm as a belief on whether particular individuals or
groups will approve of the behavior. In their study of
Halal, Shah Alam and Mohamed Sayuti (2011)
described subjective norm as the perception of an
individual on the extent to which his/her halal
purchase decision is affected by conformance to social
pressure. This pressure comes from referent persons
significant to the consumer – family, friends or peers,
colleagues, and religious figures.
Several studies have proved the correlation between
subjective norms and Halal food purchase intention
(Amalia et al., 2020; Acas & Loanzon, 2020; Aisyah et
al., 2019; Marmaya et al., 2019, Abu-Hussin et al.,
2017). Subjective norms and religiosity are the most
influential predictors of Halal food purchase intention
in Manila City, Philippines (Acas & Loanzon, 2020).
Similarly, one reason Muslim millennials in Indonesia
establish favorable evaluations of Halal is through
their consideration of people’s perceptions of Halal
food purchases (Amalia et al., 2020). Thus, the next
hypothesis of this study is formulated:
H2: Subjective norms have a significant and positive
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impact on the intention to purchase foods at a Halal-
certified restaurant.
Perceived Behavioral Control and Purchase
Intention
Perceived behavioral control reflects how an
individual perceives his/her control over the
performance of a specific behavior (Ajzen, 1991). In
the context of Halal foods, perceived behavioral
control is vital because it foresees how one will behave
based on the confidence that he/she displays
concerning the presence or absence of the elements
that stop or initiates the purchase of Halal foods (Shah
Alam & Sayuti, 2011). A consumer may have a
favorable attitude towards the purchase of Halal foods
and the people around him/her may approve the
consumption of Halal foods. Yet, some factors that are
out of an individual’s control may hinder the
performance of such. Researchers have confirmed a
positive and significant association between PBC and
purchase intention (Amalia et al., 2020; Acas &
Loanzon, 2020; Marmaya et al., 2019; Aisyah et al.,
2019; Abu-Hussin et al., 2017). Hence, the 3rd
hypothesis is postulated:
H3: Perceived behavioral control has a significant and
positive impact on the intention to purchase foods at
Halal-certified restaurants.
Halal Awareness
Awareness is an indication of an individual’s
understanding and perception of an event or an object.
In his study of Halal behavior, Ab Talib and Mohd
(2012) defined awareness as the Muslim’s capability
to recognize a Halal product in reality. In light of Halal
consumption, the greater demand for Halal-certified
restaurants as well as the dietary requirements for
Muslims results from the growing awareness among
Muslims of their responsibility to consume Halal food
and products (Ambali & Bakar, 2014). Henceforth,
when consumers are aware of the benefits of Halal
consumption, they’ll have a more favorable attitude
towards it. Bhutto et al. (2022) reported that Halal
literacy was a significant moderator in the relationship
between attitude and purchase intention of Halal
cosmetics among Malaysian Generation Y Muslims.
Similarly, Ngah et al. (2021) found that awareness
moderates the positive relationship between Halal
knowledge and the willingness to pay for Halal
transportation in Malaysia. Thus, this study proposes a
moderation hypothesis stating that:
H4: Halal Certification Awareness moderates the
Mulok et al.
relationship between attitude and intention to purchase
foods at a Halal-certified restaurant
Religiosity as a Moderator
Delener (1994) described religiosity as the degree to
which a person practices and holds onto their religious
beliefs. According to Garg and Joshi, (2018),
religiosity correlates with attitude. Moreover,
religiosity is one of the factors that influence Muslim
consumers’ intention to buy Halal foods (Amalia et al.,
2020; Acas & Loanzon, 2020). Zakaria et al. (2018)
also wrote that religiosity is the most significant
determinant of intention to purchase Halal-certified
products for both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers
in Malaysia. Sriminarti and Nora (2018) conclude that
religiosity moderates the positive relationship between
attitude and consumer purchase intention of Halal.
Therefore the 5th hypothesis states that:
H5: Religiosity moderates the relationship between
attitude and intention to purchase foods at a Halal-
certified restaurant
Consumer Socio-demographics as Moderators
Erdem et al. (2015) wrote that the level by which
consumers perceive Halal-certified products depends
not only on their level of religiosity but also on the
consumers’ demographic factors. He concluded in his
study that demographic characteristics and religious
factors effectively influence the level of perception of
these kinds of products. Likewise, Hong et al. (2019)
argued that demographics significantly influence a
person’s religiosity and his/her response to subjective
norms. Hence, this study proposes that consumer
characteristics moderate the relationships of attitude,
subjective norms, and PBC to intention.
H6: Age moderates the relationship between attitude
(ATT) and purchase intention. (PI)
H7: Age moderates the relationship between subjective
norms (SN) and purchase intention (PI)
H8: Age moderates the relationship between perceived
behavioral control (PBC) and purchase intention (PI)
H9: Sex moderates the relationship between ATT and
PI
H10: Sex moderates the relationship between SN and
PI
H11: Sex moderates the relationship between PBC and
PI
H12: Religious affiliation moderates the relationship
between ATT and PI
H13: Religious affiliation moderates the relationship
between SN and PI
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H14: Religious affiliation moderates the relationship
between PBC and PI
H15: Employment status moderates the relationship
between ATT and PI
H16: Employment status moderates the relationship
between SN and PI
H17: Employment status moderates the relationship
between PBC and PI
H18: Income moderates the relationship between ATT
and PI
H19: Income moderates the relationship between SN
and PI
H20: Income moderates the relationship between PBC
and PI
Methodology
This quantitative research utilizes a descriptive-
correlational design which allows the description of
the consumers’ behavior and the making of inferences
about the factors that influence consumer purchase
intention as well as its moderators. According to
McCombes (2023), descriptive research is helpful
when a researcher seeks to make an accurate and
systematic description of a population. Furthermore, a
correlational design aims to examine the level of
correlation between an independent and dependent
variable using their correlation coefficient without
controlling them (McCombes, 2019).
Participants
This gathered primary data from consumers who are at
least 18 years old and make purchases or dine at any
restaurants in Iligan City. Iligan City is one of the
highly urbanized cities in Northern Mindanao. It is
commonly considered part of the province of Lanao
del Norte, which has the largest number of Muslim
populations in the region. The subjects of the study
were chosen regardless of religious affiliation, tribal
association, and other socio-demographic factors
(except age).
Instruments of the Study
A structured survey instrument was used to gather data
from the respondents of this study through Google
Forms. The instrument is divided into three (3) parts.
The first part is the Informed Consent which includes
information about the research topic, the purpose of
the study, as well as its risks and benefits. It also
provided guidelines on how the respondents should go
about the questionnaire and the ethical considerations
in the conduct of the study. The second part contains
Mulok et al.
five (5) items about the respondents’ socio-
demographic information such as age, sex, religious
affiliation, monthly income, and employment status.
The third and last part contains items for every
dependent and independent variable that will be
measured which totaled 30 items. These were
measured using a five-point Likert scale.
The TPB-related items were developed based on the
questionnaire guidelines proposed by Ajzen (1991).
Certain questions were also adapted from different
previously validated instruments (Rachbini, 2018;
Nugroho & Irena, 2017; Khalek & Ismail, 2015) and
modified to fit the context of this research. The
construct on Halal certification awareness is measured
using five (5) items which were adapted from the
questionnaire of Hong et al. (2019) on Chinese
Muslims’ interpretation of Halal certification. The
religiosity items came from the Revised Religious
Orientation Scale by Gorsuch & McPherson (1989).
Five (5) intrinsic religiosity items were adopted from
the source. Although the construction of the research
instrument was done by adapting a formerly validated
instrument, the researcher conducted a pretesting to
validate the instrument in the context of this study.
Cronbach Alpha showed a high reliability for all
items.
Procedure
The Google Survey Form was distributed to the
respondents via social media such as Facebook and
Instagram. The snowball sampling. technique allowed
the selection of participants from the researchers’
families, friends, colleagues, and former students and
then requested this first group to send the survey to
others who met the respondent criteria. Hence, not all
members of the population had a chance to become
participants in this research. The method was utilized
to easily gather data from consumers across different
socio-demographics Before the data analysis, the data
was prepared through data cleaning, data coding, and
data transformation.
Ethical Considerations
This study was conducted in conformance with the
ethical standards in conducting research. Informed
consent was attached to the survey form to ensure that
the prospective research participants sufficiently
understood the study and its purpose. This allowed
them to make an informed choice whether they’d
partake in the study or not. Additionally, no
respondents were coerced to participate in this
research or forced to share information that they didn’t
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want to share. The researcher also guaranteed that the
information of the respondents is kept confidential and
used for this study only, and their identities are kept
anonymous.
Results
Profile of the Respondents
Table 1. Socio-demographic Profile of the
Respondents
The socio-demographic profile of the respondents is
presented in Table 1. The age groupings in this study
are based on generation categories. The results
revealed that the majority of the respondents in this
study, 49.3% fall into the age category Generation Zs
or the ages 18-26. This group represents younger
individuals, possibly comprising students, early career
professionals, or young adults who are in the early
stages of their careers. This is followed by the
Millennials aged 27-42 (37%) and Generation X aged
43-58 (13.7%). In terms of sex, it is evident that there
is a notable imbalance in gender representation with
the female respondents (68%) outnumbering the male
respondents (31.3%).
Since Halal has its roots in the Islamic religion and this
study also includes non-Muslims, the respondents
were categorized into two (2) religious affiliations:
Muslim and non-Muslim (including atheists). In this
study, the number of non-Muslims who are not bound
by their religion to consume Halal (51.7%) is slightly
higher than the Muslim respondents (48.3%).
On the other note, employment status can be a crucial
factor influencing dining preferences and purchasing
Mulok et al.
intentions. For instance, government employees may
have different income levels and dining habits
compared to self-employed individuals or the
unemployed. The majority of the respondents are
employed: government employees (35.7%), private
employees (13%), and self-employed (9.7%). While
the number of unemployed respondents is 125 or
41.7% of the total respondents.
In terms of income, the majority of respondents, with
140 (46.7%) individuals, fall into the income of less
than ₱9,520, indicating lower monthly income levels
or no income at all. This somehow corresponds to the
percentage of unemployed individuals, 41.7%. A
larger group of 73 respondents (24.3%) falls within the
income category of ₱19,041- ₱38,080 suggesting a
moderate income level. This is followed by
respondents within the income bracket of ₱38,081-
₱66,640 (11%); ₱9,521-19,040 (9.7%); ₱66,641-
₱114,240 (5.7%); ₱114,241- ₱190,400 (1.3%); and at
least ₱190,401 (1.3%).
Figure 1. Purchase Intention toward Halal-certified
Restaurant
For the analysis of respondents’ purchase intention
related to Halal-certified restaurants in Figure 1, the
Likert scale data has been merged into two categories:
low purchase intention (combining 1 and 2) and high
purchase intention (combining 4 and 5). The majority
of respondents (80.33%) exhibit high purchase
intention, with 57.67% in the “5 - Strongly Agree”
category, indicating that they have the intention to buy
or dine at a Halal-certified restaurant in the future. A
significant portion (60.67%) demonstrates high
purchase intention, with 50.00% being in the “5 -
Strongly Agree” category, suggesting that they will
prefer a Halal-certified restaurant over a non-Halal-
certified restaurant. Most respondents (73.33%) show
high purchase intention, with 52.33% in the “5 -
Strongly Agree” category, indicating that they will
recommend buying foods from a Halal-certified
restaurant to others. A majority (62.00%) exhibits high
purchase intention, with 47.33% being in the “5 -
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Strongly Agree” category, highlighting their

willingness to pay more to purchase or dine at a Halal-
certified restaurant.
Measurement Model Assessment
Table 2. Descriptive Statistics of Constructs
minimum threshold values specified by Hair et al.
(2022). Therefore, it can be confirmed that convergent
validity has been successfully established for the
study.
Table 3. Convergent Validity and Indicator Loadings

The measurement model assessment involves

evaluating the reliability and validity of the constructs
and their corresponding indicators. In this study, the
constructs are Attitude (ATT), Subjective Norms (SN),
Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), Halal
Certification Awareness (HCA), Religiosity (REL),
and Purchase Intention (PI).

The skewness and kurtosis values shown in Table 2

indicate that some constructs have slightly skewed
distributions, with Halal Certification Awareness
(HCA), Religiosity (REL), and Monthly Income
showing the most significant deviations from
normality. These deviations should be considered
when performing statistical analyses, and appropriate
transformation or modeling techniques may be applied
To assess discriminant validity (DV) using the
if necessary to account for non-normality in the data.
Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio (HTMT), the values of
However, PLS-SEM is a robust statistical method that
HTMT between constructs were compared.
can be used with data that is not normally distributed,
Discriminant validity issues may arise when HTMT
so it is still possible to perform statistical analyses on
values are high, suggesting that constructs are not
the data (Hair et al. 2017).
distinct enough from each other. The threshold values
Two validities should be met in the measurement for HTMT can vary based on the conceptual similarity
model; convergent validity and discriminant validity. of the constructs. According to Henseler, Ringle, and
Convergent validity (CV) is the extent to which the Sarstedt (2015), a threshold value of 0.90 is suggested
construct converges to explain the variance of its for constructs that are conceptually very similar. On
indicators. The metric used for evaluating a construct’s the other hand, a lower, more conservative threshold
convergent validity is the average variance extracted value of 0.85 is recommended for constructs that are
(AVE) for all indicators on each construct. As per the conceptually more distinct. Based on the results in
guidelines outlined by Hair et al. (2022), achieving Table 4, most construct pairs are below the threshold
convergent validity necessitates that the loading is of 0.90, indicating that DV is generally present.
equal to or greater than 0.5, the average variance However, for the conceptually similar constructs ATT
explained (AVE) is equal to or greater than 0.5, and and SN, DV may be a concern because of its HTMT
the Composite Reliability (CR) is equal to or greater value (0.857) which is close to the threshold.
than 0.7. The data presented in Table 3 demonstrates
that all the loading, AVE, and CR values exceed the

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Table 4. Discriminant Validity: HTMT
Structural Model Assessment
Before continuing to the hypothesis testing, it is
essential to confirm that the lateral collinearity is not a
problematic issue in the structural model. To assess the
potential issue of multicollinearity in the structural
model, the variance inflation factor (VIF) values have
been calculated for each construct. VIF values above 5
are indicative of probable collinearity issues among
predictor constructs, while values between 3 and 5
suggest the possibility of collinearity. Generally, VIF
values below 3 are considered acceptable and do not
raise significant concerns about multicollinearity.
Based on Table 5, ATT, SN, and PBC have VIF values
below 3, which are considered acceptable and do not
raise concerns about multicollinearity.
Table 5. Variance Inflation Factor Construct
In the structural model assessment, hypothesis testing
was conducted using the bootstrapping method with
1000 resampling iterations to evaluate the relevance
and significance of the structural paths.
Table 6. Main Effects Hypothesis Testing
Table 6 shows the structural model assessment which
tested three main effects hypotheses at a significance
level of α < 0.05. The results convey that hypotheses 1
and 2 are accepted while hypothesis 3 is rejected.
Thus, attitude and subjective norms significantly
Mulok et al.
influence the purchase intention towards a Halal-
certified restaurant, with positive coefficients (0.554
and 0.379, respectively) at a significance level of α <
0.05. On the other hand, perceived behavioral control
does not have a significant impact on the intention
(coefficient close to zero and p < 0.05).
Table 7. Model’s Explanatory Power
Table 7 exhibits the model’s explanatory power which
is assessed through the R2 values, which measure the
proportion of variance in the dependent variable
(intention to purchase, PI) explained by the
independent variables (ATT, SN, PBC). In this model:
R2 = 0.773 indicating that approximately 77.3% of the
variance in the intention to purchase foods at Halal-
certified restaurants can be explained by the
independent variables in the model. This is considered
substantial explanatory power. Attitude alone explains
55.4% of the variance in purchase intention and 37.9%
of the variance is explained by subjective norms. In
contrast, PBC doesn’t contribute substantially to
explaining variance in purchase intention (R2= -0.023).
Moderation Analysis
Table 8. Moderation Effects Hypothesis Testing
Most moderation effects, as shown in Table 8, are not
statistically significant, suggesting that these
interaction terms do not significantly influence the
relationship between the independent variables (ATT,
SN, PBC) and purchase intention (PI). However, the
moderation effect of Religious Affiliation to
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Subjective Norm, SN*Religion → PI, is statistically
significant. The interaction between Subjective Norms
and Religious Affiliation has a coefficient of around
0.2305, and its 95% confidence interval ranges from
0.0983 to 0.3862. The moderation effect is statistically
significant (p < 0.05), indicating that religious
affiliation moderates the relationship between SN and
purchase intention (We accept H19).
Discussion
Demand for a Halal-certified Restaurant
Marketers utilize consumer purchase intention to
gauge future product demand and measure how
marketing strategies affect future sales (Morwitz,
2014). This study used the same measure to examine
the demand for a Halal-certified restaurant in Iligan
City. The research findings suggest that respondents
generally have a high level of purchase intention when
it comes to Halal-certified restaurants. This high
purchase intention can significantly influence their
actual behavior in terms of buying and dining at such
establishments, emphasizing the importance of Halal
certification in their dining choices and willingness to
recommend them to others. This demand can be
utilized by restaurant marketers to seize the
opportunity from this thriving industry.
The Impact of Attitude on Purchase Intention
This study found a positive significant impact of
attitude on purchase intention towards Halal-certified
restaurants in Iligan City. Moreover, attitude is the
strongest contributor to this behavioral intention. This
means that the high demand for Halal-certified
restaurants is strongly influenced by consumers’
positive evaluations of this type of restaurant. The
result is similar to many researchers including Acas
and Loanzon (2020), Amalia, et al. (2020), Aisyah et
al. (2019), and Derahman (2017).
The Impact of Subjective Norms on Purchase
Intention
In this study, a significant and positive relationship is
observed between subjective norms and purchase
intention, highlighting the importance of social
pressure in making consumption decisions. Hence, if a
significant person believes that the consumer should
patronize a Halal-certified restaurant, the consumer
will intend to patronize such. Similarly, if the referent
person buys from this type of restaurant, the consumer
will also intend to do so. Living in a collectivist
Mulok et al.
society where harmony and cohesion are emphasized,
Filipinos have a stronger tendency to be influenced in
their decisions by the close group they belong to such
as their family and friends. Similarly, Acas and
Loanzon (2020) discovered subjective norms as
influential in the Halal food purchase intention of
Filipino Muslims in Manila. This conforms also to
other findings (Amalia et al., 2020; Aisyah et al.,
2019; Marmaya et al., 2019, Abu-Hussin et al., 2017.
The Impact of Perceived Behavioral Control on
Purchase Intention
Contrary to the results of other authors (Amalia et al.,
2020; Acas & Loanzon, 2020; Marmaya et al., 2019;
Aisyah et al., 2019; Abu-Hussin et al., 2017), this
research does not see a significant and positive impact
of PBC on purchase intention. PBC in this study is
measured by the consumers’ perceived ability to
control their food purchase from a Halal-certified
restaurant given an external constraint such as
availability in the market. This study discloses that
consumers’ intention is not shaped by this perceived
control. Hence, they have the intention to purchase
from a Halal-certified restaurant regardless of the ease
or difficulty of doing so. Many non-Muslims in Iligan
City are already familiar with Halal and have
somehow formed a positive attitude toward Halal
because Muslims and non-Muslims co-exist in the
place. Hence, they will still intend to purchase from
Halal-certified food establishments amidst constraints.
Moderators to the Relationship of Attitude and
Purchase Intention
In terms of moderation analysis, it was discovered that
religiosity does not moderate the relationship between
attitude and purchase intention. Therefore, the
interaction between the attitude and purchase intention
is the same across different levels of religiosity. This is
contradictory to the conclusion of Sriminarti and Nora
(2023) affirming that religiosity acts as a moderator to
the relationship of subjective attitudes and norms on
intentions. The variedness in the religious beliefs of
Muslims and non-Muslims can be a factor for the
difference in the results.
Additionally, the level of awareness of Halal
certification does not moderate the effects of attitude
on purchase intention. Whether one is aware or
unaware of Halal certification, the same level of
interaction between the two variables will exist. This is
different from the finding of Ngah et al. (2021) which
states that awareness moderates the positive
relationship between Halal knowledge and the
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Research Article
willingness to pay for Halal transportation in Malaysia.
Consumers’ Socio-demographic Characteristics as
Moderators to the TPB Model
Gen erally, consumer so c io - d emograph ic
characteristics are not moderators to the cause-and-
effect relationship of the main variables in this study.
The only moderating effect that existed was religious
affiliation on subjective norms and purchase intention.
The impact of the subjective norms on the intention to
buy foods at a Halal-certified restaurant is influenced
by the religious group to which the consumer belongs.
Since Muslims are required by their faith to only eat
Halal, the influence of subjective norms on the
intention is stronger among this group than the non-
Muslims who aren’t required to consume Halal. Other
than this, the level of influence of ATT, SN, and PBC
on intention is the same regardless of the consumers’
differences.
Conclusion
The Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country,
sees an opportunity in the Halal industry and is making
ways to develop the industry. However, the promotion
of Halal and the move to increase the number of Halal-
certified restaurants continue to be a challenge. This
study mainly examines the demand for Halal-certified
restaurants and identifies the factors that influence the
demand using the Theory of Planned Behavior.
Research findings showed a strong demand to
purchase foods from a Halal-certified restaurant
among Muslim and non-Muslim consumers.
Furthermore, the TPB model was proved to have
substantial explanatory power in explaining behavioral
intention toward a Halal-certified restaurant (R2 =
0.773), with both attitude and subjective norms
playing significant roles in predicting intention. The
consumers’ positive attitude towards a Halal-certified
restaurant is the strongest predictor of its demand
Moreover, religious affiliation was also a significant
moderator in the cause-and-effect relationship between
subjective norms and purchase intention.
The findings of this study suggest that attitude,
subjective norms, and religious affiliation should be
given focus when marketing or promoting a Halal-
certified restaurant. Emphasis must be given to Halal
certification’s role in ensuring the legitimacy of the
Halalness of a product and in assuring consumers of
clean, healthy, hygienic, and quality products.
Comparing and relating Halal certification with other
Mulok et al.
food or manufacturing standards can also instill a
positive attitude among consumers of different
religious groups. The Philippine government must also
tighten policies on the usage of Halal labels and logos
to discourage false halal claims and encourage the
restaurant industry players to apply for a Halal
certification.
Lastly, it is important to reiterate that these findings
are specific to the study’s sample and should not be
generalized to broader populations. Future research
may explore these relationships further, considering
diverse samples and different contexts.
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Affiliations and Corresponding Information
Mokhalidah O. Mulok
Mindanao State University
Iligan Institute of Technology, Philippines
Melissa B. Mangali
Mindanao State University
Iligan Institute of Technology, Philippines
Safa D. Manala-O
Mindanao State University
Iligan Institute of Technology, Philippines
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