NEWLY registered local pharmaceutical firm Zen LifeSciences Inc. is investing P1.2 billion for its operations at Luisita Industrial Park-Special Economic Zone in Tarlac, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said on Wednesday.
Signing the registration agreement were PEZA Director General Tereso Panga and Zen LifeSciences Inc. President Maximo Ponce Balajadia, witnessed by PEZA Deputy Director General Vivian Santos and Zen LifeSciences Board Chairman Zenaida Balajadia.
Zen LifeSciences — which will make medical, wellness and general health care products for export — is part of the Zen Industrial Pharma Ecozone development in Luisita. The ecozone, located in a site specifically for manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), will host the first facility in the country certified by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for producing sterile injectables and biopharmaceuticals.
APIs are the chemical or biological component in a medicine that produces its intended therapeutic effect, making it the “active” part that treats, cures or prevents disease.
“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,” Panga said.
Zen LifeSciences will start operations in January 2027 and initially employ over 90 workers.
Its presence is aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen the country’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on imported medicines.
Aside from Zen LifeSciences, two other export firms — EDAC Philippines Inc. and Ubukata Industries Co. — have registered with PEZA this month.
EDAC Philippines is a new, Canada-based manufacturer of electronic connectors (USB, HDMI, D-Sub) for the computing, medical, aerospace and industrial sectors. It will start operations in the first half of the year at Filinvest Innovation Park in the Clark Special Economic Zone in New Clark City, Tarlac.
Ubukata is a Japanese manufacturer of safety-related electrical components like motor protectors, thermal switches and seismic sensors for appliances, HVAC and other equipment. It is building a new facility at the First Philippine Industrial Park in Batangas and will start operations in August.
In December 2025, PEZA clinched investments worth P260.89 billion, surpassing its P250-billion target.
This year, it aims to sign P300 billion in new investments.
