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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Pharma firm bets ₱1.2 billion on health exports

Pharma firm bets ₱1.2 billion on health exports

Published Jan 21, 2026 01:53 pm
(Left) Zen LifeSciences president Maximo Ponce Balajadia and PEZA director general Tereso Panga (PEZA photo)
(Left) Zen LifeSciences president Maximo Ponce Balajadia and PEZA director general Tereso Panga (PEZA photo)
Pharmaceutical company Zen LifeSciences Inc. is investing ₱1.2 billion to manufacture health products for the export market, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said.
The investment was formalized in a registration agreement between PEZA Director General Tereso Panga and Zen LifeSciences President Maximo Ponce Balajadia on Monday, Jan. 19.
The company registered the project as an ecozone export enterprise with the investment promotion agency (IPA).
The designation means that products manufactured by Zen LifeSciences will be primarily intended for markets abroad.
The firm produces pharmaceutical products used for medical, wellness, and general health care.
Through the registration, the company may avail itself of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives offered by PEZA, such as an income tax holiday (ITH) and other perks.
Zen LifeSciences will build its facility, expected to cost around ₱1.2 billion, at Luisita Industrial Park-Special Economic Zone in Tarlac province.
The project is expected to begin commercial operations in January 2027 and will create more than 90 jobs for Filipinos.
According to PEZA, the project aligns with the Marcos Jr. administration’s push to strengthen the country’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.
“By locating in a PEZA ecozone, this project will not only help ensure a stable supply of quality, locally made health products here and abroad, but also create meaningful employment and economic opportunities for communities in Tarlac and nearby areas,” said Panga.
Zen LifeSciences has been a strong partner of the government in attracting investments in the pharmaceutical industry, especially with the ongoing construction of Zen Industrial Pharma Ecozone (ZIPZ), with a capital investment of $20 million.
ZIPZ, being developed alongside Zen Industrial and Lloyd Laboratories Inc., is expected to begin operations in March of this year.
The ecozone is envisioned as a pioneering active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing site, designed to drive pharmaceutical innovation and export growth through its vertically integrated ecosystem.
It is also poised to host the country’s first manufacturing facility certified by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for the production of sterile injectables and biopharmaceuticals for regulated markets.
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