Aiming to bring down the prices of medicines, President Marcos has ordered the establishment of pharmaceutical economic zones or “pharma-zones” in the country.

Marcos said pharma-zones will address the development and manufacture of common generic drugs  that will boost local supply and bring down prices similar to what has been introduced in India.

“Pharma-zones should reduce prices. For the moment, yung mga critical sa atin ngayon (those that are critical to us now), we are hoping to follow the one that has been introduced in India, for example, naibaba talaga nila yung presyo ng kanilang drugs at saka nakapag-export pa sila (they were really able to bring down the prices of their drugs and they were also able to export),” Marcos said during a sectoral meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

“So, we want to be in the same place so that the cost of medicines is a little too high, it’s not a little too high, it’s too high. Kailangan natin maibaba ang presyo to true generic (We need to bring the prices down to true generic)," he added.

The President underscored that "if we produce it locally, we are going to bring down" the prices. However, he noted that the Philippines must get the accreditation first to be able "to produce those drugs and to be able to distribute them as quickly as possible."

Marcos further said that the government should encourage both foreign and local investors to put their money in the Philippine pharmaceutical sector by putting up the pharma-zones which is similar to the ecozones being monitored and evaluated by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) in which investors get certain tax and other financial incentives in order to bring down the cost of manufacturing.

“We are talking to foreign, hopefully foreign investors, but we are also talking to the locals. My theory here is that, at the very least, we provide the locals and the foreign investors with an equal playing field. We give everyone a chance to do that. To do whatever they want. But now, it’s not really regulated,” he said.

Pharma-zones consolidate companies that are engaged in all aspects of drug manufacturing including research and development, clinical testing and trials as well as regulation.

According to FDA Director General Samuel Zacate, the creation of pharma-zones will boost local drug production in three areas identified by PEZA.

He added that at present one of the three pharma-zones will be established in Clark while the remaining two sites have yet to be determined by the PEZA.