VICTORIA, Tarlac — The province of Tarlac reached a major milestone with the official launch of Victoria Industrial Park on Thursday, 1 May. Located beside the Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX), the 30-hectare PEZA-accredited park is designed to attract export manufacturers and healthcare innovators while strengthening the country’s local pharmaceutical supply chain.

Victoria Industrial Park was officially declared a special economic zone through Proclamation 623, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by authority of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on 4 July. The 297,719-square-meter site in Barangay Baculong, Victoria, Tarlac was designated as a PEZA zone under the guidelines of Republic Act 7916 or the “Special Economic Zone Act of 1995.”

One of the park’s key features is the on-site satellite laboratory of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), now under construction — the first of its kind in any Philippine ecozone. The facility is expected to fast-track regulatory approvals, giving manufacturers and exporters a strategic edge. “This will streamline how companies secure FDA-related permits, making the zone even more attractive to potential investors,” Panga added.

Victoria Industrial Park is built for sustainability, resilience and future readiness. It sits within a designated natural disaster-safe zone and is governed by a comprehensive environmental management system. The park also enjoys direct connectivity to major expressways, making it the only ecozone in Tarlac with a full interchange to the country’s national road network — a crucial asset for logistics and export.

Mixed-use hub drawing investor confidence

Although launched as a pharma-first initiative, Victoria Industrial Park is open to serve a broader range of industries — including BPOs, food tech companies, light manufacturers, and creative enterprises. Its mixed-use zoning, fast internet infrastructure (including PLDT and Starlink), and access to solar energy make it especially appealing to tech-driven businesses.

“There’s a lot of labor here — very trainable, very competitive,” said Victoria Industrial Park CEO Melissa Yeung-Yap. “It’s a great location between Baguio and Quezon City. And we’re open to negotiating, especially with companies bringing in jobs for the citizens (of the municipality of Victoria).”

During the launch, 13 memoranda of agreement and understanding were signed, with early locators including Lifestrong Marketing, Greenstone Pharmaceutical, Solstice ECOventures and Verdant Dreams Hong Kong. PEZA also confirmed it is in talks with Japanese and Chinese-American investors, and noted a major US investment in nitrile glove manufacturing is currently being considered for the park.

With its official designation as a special economic zone, strategic location, streamlined regulatory access, and future-ready infrastructure, Victoria Industrial Park is poised to become a key driver of industrial growth and pharmaceutical innovation — not only in Tarlac, but across the country.