The Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the Unilab Foundation Inc. signed an agreement Feb. 2 to support the development of emerging pharmaceutical ecozones.
PEZA director general Tereso Panga and ULF executive director Jose Maria Ochave signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen workforce capabilities and advance pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality management.
The collaboration focuses on developing pharma-specific competencies, adopting advanced production systems, and preparing for emerging drug technologies and regulatory requirements. Through the partnership, ecozone locators are expected to improve operational efficiency and align health and safety standards with global benchmarks.
As PEZA and Unilab work toward establishing the Manufacturing Development Alliance, the partnership will support workforce development through targeted training programs for firms within the ecozones. It will also foster research and development through joint initiatives designed to build a future-ready Filipino workforce.
Unilab, the corporate foundation of one of the Philippines’ largest healthcare companies, provides expertise in health education and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) capability building.
The partnership aims to position the Philippines as a regional hub for pharmaceutical innovation. It emphasizes quality production and the development of an AI-enabled workforce—capabilities sought by global investors in Asia.
“By leveraging PEZA’s AI Tech Academy and Knowledge, Innovation, Science, and Technology (KIST) Parks, we seek to attract more companies engaged in pharmaceutical manufacturing and research,” Panga said. “We aim to build an integrated value chain that supports the Philippines’ transition into a net exporter of pharmaceutical products while helping lower the cost of medicines for Filipinos.”
