Vaccine distributor Glovax Lifescience Corp. is moving forward with plans to establish a vaccine manufacturing facility in the Philippines following a meeting between company officials and Trade Secretary Cristina Roque on Thursday.

“Building a stronger domestic vaccine supply remains a key opportunity for Philippine manufacturing. During a meeting with Glovax Lifescience Corporation President Giovanni de Castro Alingog, Secretary Cris Roque discussed the company’s planned vaccine manufacturing facility in Batangas and its potential to strengthen local production, technology transfer, and pandemic preparedness,” the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

The DTI said the project, backed by South Korean technology partners, is expected to build the country’s vaccine production capabilities while creating opportunities in manufacturing and research and development.

“With support from South Korean technology partners, the project is expected to develop local capabilities for vaccine production and create opportunities in manufacturing and research and development,” the DTI said.

Glovax broke ground in 2023 on its planned P7.5-billion vaccine manufacturing facility in Taysan, Batangas.

State-owned National Development Co. (NDC) is also involved in the project through a memorandum of understanding with Glovax.

Aside from vaccine manufacturing, the facility is planned to include research and development capabilities as well as animal testing for clinical trials.

The Batangas plant is expected to have an annual production capacity of 50 million vaccine doses.

Glovax has distributed vaccines in the Philippines since 2003, including those against polio, tuberculosis, measles, tetanus and rabies, as well as pentavalent vaccines.