PEZA Director General Tereso Panga (2nd from right) leads the groundbreaking of Zen Industrial Pharma Ecozone in Luisita, Tarlac on March 26, 2025. ZIPZ will host the country’s first US FDA-certified pharmaceutical manufacturer. (Photo courtesy of PEZA)
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) announced that a newly established economic zone in Tarlac will soon become home to the country’s first manufacturing facility certified by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Zen Industrial Pharma Ecozone (ZIPZ) officially broke ground on March 26 in Luisita, Tarlac. It will house a state-of-the-art plant for producing sterile injectables and biopharmaceuticals targeting regulated markets. It will also be the country’s first facility to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
According to PEZA, the ZIPZ project aligns with the Marcos administration’s initiative to strengthen the local pharmaceutical industry, reduce medicine costs, and improve healthcare accessibility. It also aims to enhance the Philippines’ position in the global pharmaceutical supply chain.
PEZA Director General Tereso Panga emphasized the transformative potential of the project.
“With these exciting developments, and in collaboration with our government and industry partners such as the Philippine Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (PCPI), along with developers like Zen Industrial, we’re poised to advance the country’s pharmaceutical sector,” Panga said.
“This initiative will not only make quality healthcare more accessible but also generate jobs and support inclusive economic growth, particularly in Tarlac and nearby provinces,” he added.
PEZA previously disclosed that ZIPZ is investing PHP 81.63 million in the project, with construction targeted for completion by the end of 2025.
ZIPZ joins Tarlac’s growing pharmaceutical infrastructure, following the Victoria Industrial Park in Victoria—the country’s first dedicated pharma park.
In related developments, PEZA also signed a supplemental agreement on March 27 with Kaneko Medical Philippine, Inc. to expand its manufacturing capabilities. The Japanese firm, based in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Batangas, will now include the production of guidewires and other advanced medical devices in its portfolio.