PEZA, FDA launch first pharmaceutical zone

VICTORIA, Tarlac — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have opened the first pharmaceutical economic zone in the country at Barangay Baculong of this town last Friday, 30 April.

According to PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga, the 30-hectare Victoria Industrial Park (VIP) in Victoria, Tarlac is set to become a dynamic hub for investment, innovation, medical research and inclusive progress.

He added, “This move is in response to the marching orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to make medicine more accessible and affordable, to empower Filipino manufacturers, to be self-sufficient, and to be the hub in ASEAN for the pharmaceutical industry, thus strengthening our own local supply chain.”

The VIP was established under Proclamation 623, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in July 2024, designating the 297,719-square-meter property as a special economic zone.

FDA Director General Dr. Samuel Zacate said that the President personally instructed the creation of an exclusive pharmaceutical hub to improve access to affordable medicines.

The official also highlighted the start of the construction of a satellite laboratory of the FDA that will further strengthen our supply chain and advance our healthcare and industrial capabilities.