Exports of pharmaceuticals declined by 25 percent in the first semester of 2025 as the huge Philippine pharmaceutical market remained heavily import dependent, according to a ranking official of the Board of Investments (BOI)
Executive Director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa of the BOI presented the update in the implementation of the Integrated Roadmap for the Philippine Pharmaceutical Industry (IRPPI) reported during the 2nd General Membership Meeting of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PCPI).
According to Dichosa, from 2019 to 2024, the Philippines saw a steady rise in pharmaceutical imports peaking in 2021. Exports, on the other hand, remained almost nil relative to the country’s imports and have been declining.
For the 1st semester of 2025, exports have declined by 25 percent while imports increased by 5 percent compared with the same period of 2024, Dichosa added.
Among the key updates in the roadmap is the issuance of PEZA guidelines on the establishment of Pharmazones, which will serve as hubs for companies involved in various aspects of medical and drug manufacturing activities, especially in research and development, clinical testing, and trials.
There is also the finalization of the Tatak Pinoy Strategy that include pharmaceuticals as among the focus industries, the issuance of FDA Administrative Order simplifying the process for exportation of locally-produced pharmaceutical products, and the planned establishment of the Virology Institute of the Philippines.
For 2025, the Philippine pharmaceutical market is projected to generate nearly USD2 billion in revenue with a steady annual growth of 4.1 percent through 2029.
Thisupward trend is expected to be largely driven by the increasing demand for generic drugs due to the government’s efforts to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to all Filipinos.
