EXPLORING PHARMA HUB. From left, APECO Public Relations Chief Kris M. Crismundo, Business Development and Marketing Division OIC-Manager Gene Angelo P. Ferrer, Deputy Administrator Angelo Gabriel D. Mantuano, APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV, PPPI President and CEO Maria Blanca Kim Bernardo-Lokin, Vice President for Administration and Logistics and Supply Chain Josefina Leona O. Riel, Sales Manager Olga T. Layog, and Account Manager Teofilo T. Arriola at APECO Satellite Office in Parqal, Aseana City, Parañaque City.
MANILA — The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) and the Philippine Pharmaceutical Procurement Inc. (PPPI) are exploring to establish a pharmaceutical investment hub in Casiguran, Aurora.
On April 24, APECO President and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Gil G. Taway IV and PPPI President and CEO Maria Blanca Kim Bernardo-Lokin had an initial meeting at APECO’s satellite office at Parqal, Aseana City, Parañaque City to discuss potential areas of collaboration between the two government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).
The proposed initiative supports the administration’s push under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen healthcare systems, improve access to affordable medicines, and position the Philippines as a competitive hub for high-value industries.
During the meeting, PPPI identified several potential activities for the proposed pharma hub in APECO, including research and development, clinical trials, and cold chain logistics and warehousing, among others.
PCEO Taway underscored APECO's readiness to host high-value industries that require reliable infrastructure, streamlined regulation, and long-term investment support.
“We are building APECO as a complete, investment-ready ecosystem. For industries like pharmaceuticals that demand stability, efficiency, and scale, our ecozone provides the environment where they can operate and grow with confidence,” PCEO Taway said.
Likewise, APECO has available land in Parcel 1 for a potential pharmaceutical hub, covering 496 hectares within the 12,923 hectares under its management pursuant to Republic Act 10083 of 2010.
He added that APECO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen power supply, water access, and logistics connectivity are critical in meeting the requirements of pharmaceutical locators, particularly in R&D, cold chain storage, and distribution.
For her part, PCEO Bernardo-Lokin said PPPI is currently drafting its roadmap in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry-Supply Chain and Logistics Group to develop a network of pharma hubs, wherein APECO is being eyed to be one of the potential pharma ecozones.
“We can position the Philippines as a competitive regional hub in Asia for global pharmaceutical firms, leveraging our strengths in R&D, clinical trials, and logistics. This collaboration with APECO not only strengthens our role in the global pharma value chain but also directly supports the administration’s priority of improving access to affordable, quality healthcare for all Filipinos,” Bernardo-Lokin added.
