Wellness manufacturing firm to open P500-M facility in Tarlac ecozone — PEZA

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said a wellness manufacturing firm is looking to set up a P500-million facility within Victoria Industrial Park (VIP) in Tarlac, which will generate 290 local jobs.

The agency on March 30 finalized a registration agreement with Goodfield International Trading Corp. as a domestic market enterprise, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Goodfield facility will specialize in the production of essential oils, liquid and bar soaps, candles, diffuser oils, and reed diffusers, PEZA said.

The registration agreement was inked by PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga and Goodfield President Melissa Yeung-Yap, who is also the chief executive officer of VIP.

“This registration reflects our drive to support Tatak Pinoy industries — empowering local manufacturers, lowering the cost of medicine, uplifting communities, and strengthening the Philippines’ position in the global value chain,” Mr. Panga said.

PEZA said that the company has partnered with Tarlac State University and Tarlac Agricultural University to support researchers and boost collaborations with local farmers and indigenous groups.

The facility’s location, VIP, is a 30-hectare industrial park in Tarlac specializing in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing. Its developer is Greenstone Pharmaceutical HK, Inc., the company behind Filipino ointment brand Katinko.

The PEZA-registered park is located near the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway in Central Luzon.

VIP, which is gearing for an expansion of up to 100 hectares, is looking to welcome high-value locators and create more jobs to support the local industry.

“The ecozone (economic zone) is fully ready to welcome high-value locators, sustain rapid growth, and provide Filipino enterprises the opportunity to showcase world-class talent, expand capabilities, and create more quality jobs in line with the goals of the Tatak Pinoy Act,” PEZA said.

Both PEZA and VIP are looking to entice more wellness-driven locators in its economic zones, the agency said, which align with its pharmazone guidelines and the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory enhancements. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz