Zen Industrial Pharma Ecozone (ZIPZ) with initial investments of US$20 million, approximately PhP1.4 billion, is rising in Luisita, Tarlac to host the Philippines’ first US FDA-certified manufacturing facility for a pioneering Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing operation, opening up opportunities for medicine production in the Philippines, and earning a place in the global supply chain in the pharmaceutical industry.
The ZIPZ ecozone is being developed by Filipino-owned Onward Real Estate, Inc. and is expected to start operation next, employing 1,000 highly skilled workers over a three-year period. The ecozone also forecasts to export more than US$100 million annually starting 2027.
Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Tereso O. Panga said following groundbreaking ceremony of the new pharma ecozone on March 26, 2025.
The foremost locator in the 8-hectare ecozone is an API company – Zen Life Science Inc.
As the country’s pioneering API-manufacturing site, it will open new opportunities for medicine production. Designed as a vertically integrated ecosystem, it aims to drive pharmaceutical innovation and export growth.
Also, the new pharma ecozone is poised to host the Philippines’ first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-certified manufacturing facility, specializing in the production of sterile injectables and biopharmaceuticals for regulated markets. He, however, refused to divulge the locator’s identity.
“The development of this zone responds to the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to empower local pharma manufacturers, lower the cost of medicines, make it more accessible to Filipinos.
Significantly, it will further strengthen the country’s role in the global pharmaceutical supply chain,” said Panga.
Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (SAPIEA) Secretary Frederick Go reiterated, “At the heart of this initiative is Zen Life Sciences, a shared facility that offers an end-to-end solution for companies looking to expand their operations in the Philippines without making significant investments. From product development to contract manufacturing—with both the FDA and PEZA—and export facilitation through the DTI, this initiative simplifies doing business in the country, aligning with the government’s commitment to ease of doing business.”
In his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Panga underscored PEZA’s pivotal role in transforming the Philippines into a thriving pharmaceutical hub. He emphasized the agency’s commitment to developing specialized ecozones that foster globally competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing, innovation, and research.
Panga further expressed confidence that, together with government and industry partners—such as the Philippine Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (PCPI)—and developers and locators, like Zen Industrial, PEZA can propel the country’s pharmaceutical industry forward.
