Philippines to position itself as Asia's next clinical research hub

Philippines eyes role as Asia’s clinical research hub

Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta 
Inquirer.net
06 October 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is seeking to position itself as Asia’s next clinical research hub, with a new center of excellence targeted to open in Manila within the year through a partnership with British Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

The planned Clinical Trial Centre of Excellence is being developed by AstraZeneca with De La Salle University (DLSU), the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza).

t will be established within the DLSU Knowledge, Innovation, Science and Technology Zone and serve as the first of three planned pillars of a broader health ecosystem, alongside a Cancer Command Centre and a Cardio-Renal-Metabolic Centre.

The Department of Trade and Industry said it would work with AstraZeneca and other government and academic partners to streamline regulatory approvals and explore a one-stop-shop model to support clinical research.

Currently, AstraZeneca supports more than 28 ongoing and planned clinical trials across over 150 sites nationwide, involving more than 1,000 Filipino patients enrolled since 2022.

AstraZeneca has invested more than P3 billion in Philippine clinical trials over the past six years, covering research in areas including oncology, respiratory and immunology, and cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases.

The company has also partnered with AC Health and its Healthway Medical Network to expand clinical trial capabilities to more hospitals, including facilities outside traditional research centers.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said expanding the industry could create higher-value employment for doctors, nurses, researchers and other health professionals while giving more patients access to clinical research.

“Just as we built the IT-BPM industry from call centers into a globally competitive knowledge-services sector, we see clinical research and health information management as the Philippines’ next growth industry,” Roque said.

Separately, AstraZeneca and Peza are developing a proposed Multi-Stakeholder Health Innovation Hub within the economic zone network following an agreement signed in August 2025.

Its flagship Oncology Innovation Center is envisioned to use artificial intelligence for early lung cancer detection while expanding patient-support systems and strengthening health-care workforce capabilities.

The initiatives were discussed during Roque’s visit to AstraZeneca’s Discovery Centre in Cambridge, United Kingdom. INQ

Young inventors on the rise in the Philippines

Young inventors on the rise in Philippines

IP filings eyed for fresh high

Brix Lelis 
The Philippine Star 
September 21, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is targeting a new record for IP filings this year, buoyed by a growing number of young inventors.

“Many young people are getting into the groove of what to invent, what to create and what to innovate. But naturally, we at IPOPHL desire much, much more,” IPOPHL director general Teodoro Pascua said in an interview over the weekend.

Pascua said the country has been seeing a steady increase in IP applications, and he is hopeful that filings will be “better” this year.

Filings for patents, trademarks, utility models and industrial designs reached an all-time high of 53,231 in 2025, up by two percent from 52,257 a year earlier.

While declining to provide figures, Pascua said applications have continued to post positive growth nearly nine months into the year.

Beyond increasing the number of IP filings, however, IPOPHL also wants to speed up the registration process to encourage more innovators to formally protect their creations.

“We can only encourage and persuade (people to file). But the registration, that’s within our fingers. If we can accelerate it, I think it would be much better than just asking others to keep on filing,” Pascua said.

Last week, the Department of Trade and Industry launched the ASEAN Creative Industries Expo, showcasing various creative industry domains, including audiovisual media, creative services, design, digital interactive media, and publishing and printed media.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the creative industry serves as a form of cultural currency, drawing global audiences and opportunities to the Philippines.

“This cultural currency is no longer just an expression of identity. The creative industry is a major strength of the Philippines and a primary driver for both trade and tourism,” Roque said.

Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that the creative economy rose to P2.12 trillion last year, accounting for around 7.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

This included P320.06 billion in creative goods exports and P426.99 billion in creative services exports.

Employment in creative industries, however, declined to 8.71 million in 2025 from the previous year’s 8.74 million.

Roque acknowledged that much work remains to be done to fully realize the sector’s full potential.

Philippines pitched to be Southeast Asia's pharma manufacturing hub

Philippines tipped to be a regional pharma manufacturing hub

Story by Ronnel W. Domingo 
inquirer.net
23 August 2025

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is tipped to become a regional pharmaceutical hub as strategic investments related to this industry pour into the country’s economic zones.

BMI Country Risk & Industry Research, in a commentary, cited recent moves by AstraZeneca, Merck Business Solutions and Royale Life Pharma.

The Department of Trade and Industry earlier this week announced that AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines Inc. would invest more than P7 billion over the next few years in the country’s first pharmaceutical innovation hub.

The hub will function as a regional center for digital health technology, R&D collaboration and patient-centered health-care solutions.

Its initial project will be an Oncology Innovation Center, modeled after AstraZeneca’s pharmaceutical hub in the United Kingdom.

“The government is also actively enhancing the pharmaceutical sector through strategic regulatory improvements designed to attract foreign investment, while Peza (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) is promoting pharmaceutical parks to reduce medicine costs through local production,” BMI said.

Specialized facilities

“These specialized pharmaceutical parks offer drugmakers significant advantages including reduced corporate tax rate of 20 percent, thereby providing substantial incentives to localize operations in the Philippines,” the research unit of Fitch Solutions added.

BMI also expects the Philippines to remain “the largest pharmaceutical market in Southeast Asia.”

Still, BMI said that while the domestic pharmaceutical market will grow in the Philippines, it continues to face several constraints.

One is that the Philippines faces significant systemic challenges in attracting and sustaining pharmaceutical research and development.

Another barrier is in the regulatory space.

BMI said that while the Food and Drug Authority officially targets a 254-day timeline for drug approvals and Certificate of Product Registration issuance, the actual process frequently extends to two to four years. This creates substantial market entry delays for new medications.

Philippines ushers ASEAN in renewable energy investments

$27.7 billion: How the Philippines leads Asean in investments, green power push

Investments boom: 2024 saw a 28% jump in approved projects, as per DTI data

Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor
Gulf News (Saudi Arabia)
30 January 2025

Manila: The year 2024 broke records for investments, with approved projects hitting Php1.62 trillion ($27.7 billion), the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has confirmed.

Free energy from the sun: The Philippines's biggest winners in 2024 in wooing fresh capital were the energy and manufacturing sectors, as well as special economic zones. Renewable power led by solar-wind-batteries (SWB) secured Php1.38 trillion ($23.6 billion) in fresh inflows — a 40 per cent jump from 2023.Bloomberg

The bumper inflows exceeded the Php1.5 trillion initial target for the past year.

The Asean nation not only overshot its original aim: it was up 28 per cent, outpacing 2023’s Php1.26 trillion ($21.58 billion), outperforming neighbouring countries like Thailand and Malaysia in this metric.

The biggest winners in wooing fresh capital: renewable energy (RE) and manufacturing, among others, as per the Presidential Communications Office.

Green energy leads 

• The energy sector led the charge, securing Php1.38 trillion ($23.6 billion) — a massive 40 per cent jump from last year.
• Other booming sectors: air and water transport, mass housing, manufacturing, water supply, waste management, and real estate.

Economic zones

The Philippines, once dubbed as the "Silicon Valley" of South-east Asia, has lost its sheen due to power intermittency and high rates.

Now, it's plotting a comback, as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) also shattered expectations, raking in Php214.17 billion ($3.67 billion), surpassing its Php200 billion ($3.5 billion) goal for 2024.

Investment boom

Though officials didn’t directly link the surge to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’ global investment push, trade leaders credit his overseas trips for securing major deals. 

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with Ferdinand Marcos Jr, President of the Republic of the Philippines, at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi in November 2024.

File photo | WAM

Australia: Marcos locked in $1.53 billion (Php86 billion) across renewable energy, clean tech, IT-BPM, and healthcare, plus an expansion of Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT).

Germany & Czech Republic: Fresh investments are rolling in, with PEZA reporting nearly Php75 billion — about 43 per cent of its annual target — linked directly to the international trade missions.

Vietnam: VinGroup pledged investments in EV battery production, fueling the government’s transport modernisation.

Japan: A sweet deal between local Auro Chocolate and retail giant Mitsukoshi will benefit 1,000 Filipino families, blending Davao’s cacao with Japanese flavours like matcha and miso.

What’s next?

Manila is doubling down on investment-friendly policies in 2025, ensuring the Philippines remains a top destination for business, innovation, and job creation, said Trade Secretary Cristina Roque.

“We will continue to refine and implement forward-looking policies that attract investments in these key industries, ensuring that the Philippines remains a prime destination for innovation and growth,” Roque was quoted as saying by the Presidential Communications Office.

With this momentum, the Philippines isn’t just catching up — it’s leading the pack in the Asean.

Challenges

The country is tackling a key challenge: energy security and high cost of power.

Policy makers are leading the drive with a mix of renewable energy (RE) expansion and mega gas-to-energy projects, potentially dislodging coal.

In 2024, the Philippines ramped up RE capacity: more than 4,000 megawatts (MW) of power projects came online, as per the Department of Energy (DOE).

In June, the agency approved the construction of 16 offshore wind farms, with an estimated potential capacity of 7,668 MW. 

In September, Danish firm Copenhagen Offshore Partners announced a $3-billion investment for the 1-gigawatt (GW) San Miguel Bay offshore wind power project in Camarines Sur, about 400km south-east of Manila.

Juice from this wind project will start energizing the power grid from 2028.

In November, the $3.4-billion integrated solar-battery project, claimed to be the “biggest-of-its-type-in-the-world” in a 3,500-hectare (35 sq km) land in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, broke ground north of the capital, combining solar and batteries, able to power the equivalent of 2 million local homes.

The Philippines also announced 20 dams for hydro-electric power generation.

Earlier this month (January 2025), the Philippines and UAE sealed a $15-billion landmark solar-wind-batteries deal aimed to bolster the Asean nation’s renewable energy credentials.

Policy mandate

Policy has been tweaked, too: electricity suppliers are now mandated to increase their RE sourcing by at least 2.52 per cent annually starting in 2023, up from the previous 1 per cennt annual increase in 2020. 

Filipino business tycoons are turning into battery barons, ramping up megawatt-scale “power banks” – including ones on floating platforms, with container-size battery energy storage systems (BESS).

A key advantage: they can be quickly deployed where needed. More than 60 sites across the archipelago had been completed or in the roll-out stage.  

Global recognition  

While the Philippines still has one of the highest power rates in the region, the push for REs is hoped to bring rates down.

With companies like Aboitiz Power, ACEN, and Meralco scaling up solar farms and offshore wind, the Philippines landed second in the 2024 Climatescope Report by BloombergNEF, reflecting investor confidence in greening drive.

Will these moves push some — if not all — of the 60 coal-fired plants (with generating capacity of 12 GW) to retire earlier than planned?

It's early days.

The ramp in RE underscores Manila’s efforts to creating a greener, end-user and investor-friendly (and, hopefully, cheaper!) power eco-system.

PH positioned as hub for sustainable manufacturing, services

PH positioned as hub for sustainable manufacturing, services

Story by Connie Fernandez-Brojan
Inquirer.net
31 August 2024

CEBU CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) seeks to transform the country into Southeast Asia’s hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing and services.

This was disclosed by Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo during the Cebu leg of the business forum organized by Security Bank Corp. and SyCip Gorres Velayo (SGV) & Co. at Nustar Resort in Cebu City last Aug. 16.

Aside from Rodolfo, the two other panelists were Maria Elena Arbon, DTI director for Central Visayas, who talked about the potential of small- and medium-sized enterprises; and lawyer Jules Riego, who stressed the need for effective wealth management and succession planning to protect families’ legacies.

Rodolfo, also managing head of the Board of Investments (BOI), said sectors such as renewable energy and semiconductors need to be further developed for the country to become Southeast Asia’s hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing and services.

Others include smart/high-tech light manufacturing, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test, high-tech agriculture, and data centers/telecommunications infrastructure.

Free trade deals

So far, Rodolfo said the Marcos administration had undertaken reforms toward this goal, including entering into free trade agreements (FTA) with various countries, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership with Asia-Pacific nations for possible technology transfer and influx of investments.

The government was also negotiating an FTA with the European Union and a reauthorization of the Generalized System of Preferences with the United States, he added.

The administration had also eliminated tariffs on electric vehicles and removed equity restrictions on foreign entities regarding renewable energy projects to entice more direct investments.

Collaboration

In Cebu, Rodolfo noted that the BOI approved P3.912 billion worth of projects from the private sector.

These are in various sectors such as cold storage, renewable energy, information technology and business process management, and manufacturing.

Still, Rodolfo stressed a need for greater collaboration between the government and private sector to strengthen economic growth in the Philippines. “This is crucial given the country only has a short window in achieving its goal to be Southeast Asia’s hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing and services,” he added. Security Bank regularly hosts events and forums as an extension of its BetterBanking brand promise.

“We hold these forums as part of our commitment to provide our clients with valuable insights for everyday business and investment decisions. This forum embodies our BetterBanking mission to enrich lives, empower businesses, and build communities sustainably. It also leverages our partnership with organizations and industry leaders, such as the DTI and SGV, to facilitate discussions on actionable strategies in today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape,” said Sanjiv Vohra, president and CEO of Security Bank.

Confirmed investments from Marcos trips hit $19B

DTI: Realized investments from Marcos trips hit $19B

Story by Janine Alexis Miguel 
Manila Times
25 June 2024

ACTUALIZED investments from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s foreign trips since he took office in 2022 have hit $19 billion — around P1.1 trillion — as of this month, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) claimed on Monday.

This involves 65 projects registered with the Board of Investments (BoI) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) that are in the final stages of being registered or are already operating.

The DTI said that 12 projects had reached category six, meaning these were registered and currently operating and were worth $328 million (P19.3 billion).

Twenty-one projects amounting to $1.6 billion (P94 billion), meanwhile, were said to be in category five: registered businesses that have yet to start operations.

The majority of actualized projects — 32 worth some $17 billion (P999 billion) — are in category four, which means that they are being registered with various investment promotion agencies.

The actualized investments account for over 31 percent of the $61.3 billion (P3.6 trillion) in investment pledges secured from the President's foreign trips, the DTI said.

Marcos' trips, which included visits to key allies and emerging markets, were aimed at strengthening economic ties and attracting foreign direct investments. The pledges secured spanned industries including manufacturing, infrastructure, information technology and business process management (IT-BPM), and renewable energy.

In line with this, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the government was "on track" to achieving this year's investment approval target of P1.5 trillion.

As of end-May, the BoI had approved investments totaling P640.22 billion, a result said to be the highest five-month tally in the agency's 57-year history.

The investment pledges, which were 14 percent higher than the P562.90 billion recorded a year earlier, were overwhelmingly from Filipino investors and mostly comprised renewable energy and power projects.

Domestic investments amounted to P525.85 billion, while foreign investments totaled P114.37 billion. The projects are expected to create 13,871 jobs.

DTI pitched PH as Google manufacturing hub

PH presented as manufacturing hub for Google

Story by Janine Alexis Miguel 
Manila Times
13 April 2024

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) presented the Philippines as an alternative manufacturing location for Google tech products.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual pitched the idea to the tech company during a meeting that took place on the sidelines of the United States-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit held in Washington, D.C.

"With a digital-savvy population exceeding 110 million, we offer a lucrative market for foreign investment. Our cultural affinity for global content and robust local enterprise sector also position us as a prime consumer of cloud services," Pascual said.

The country has already adopted 5G networks and has 19 international sub-sea cable systems, 13 cable landing stations and 840,000 kilometers of domestic fiber optic network.

It also supports 11 commercial data center providers operating 25 data centers with a total rack capacity of 19,000.

"The Philippines stands at the forefront of innovation and growth, welcoming diverse forms of collaboration across industry sectors. These include infrastructure development, workforce enhancement, manufacturing, cybersecurity and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI)," Pascual said.

The Philippine delegation also emphasized the government's commitment to support the establishment of hyperscaler and data center operations.

Among the efforts related to this initiative includes the implementation of policies to safeguard intellectual property rights and data protection.

Meanwhile, the DTI also thanked Google for expanding its workforce development program called Google Career Certificates (GCC).

As of April 5, the department reported that the program has attracted interest from 23,000 Filipinos, with a goal to reach 25,000 participants.

This initiative was announced during the US-Philippines Trade and Investment Meeting on March 11.

Google Philippines started operations in 2013. Currently, the company is partnering with the DTI to roll out more GCC programs across DTI virtual campuses.

PH- Australia improved trade relations

PH makes second mango shipment to Australia

Story by Janine Alexis Miguel
Manila Times
08 April 2024

THE Philippines has sent a second shipment of mangoes to Australia, which will help increase the country's bilateral trade with that country, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In a statement over the weekend, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the latest mango shipment will help increase the country's bilateral trade with Australia, which reached $4.1 billion in 2023, or 20 percent higher from the previous year's $3.4 billion.

"The continued growth in our bilateral trade underscores the vast potential for our products in the Australian market. The successful export of our mangoes exemplifies the significant strides we're making in facilitating agricultural trade, which is pivotal for our economic agenda," he said.

Moreover, Pascual highlighted the significance of key policy instruments such as the Second Protocol of the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), ratified by the Philippines on Feb. 14, 2024, in further optimizing the trade and investment relationship between the two countries.

Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"We would like to provide enhanced market access for our stakeholders/exporters to as many countries as possible, even the non-traditional partners. For this year, we are working on an FTA with EU (European Union), UAE (United Arab Emirates), and Canada under the Asean-Canada FTA negotiation," the trade chief said.

The logistics firm FastboxPH, which facilitated the mango delivery, has noted a surge in demand for the tropical fruit in Australia, attributing it to the quality and exceptional taste of Philippine mangoes.

"The overwhelmingly positive response to our initial shipment last year has paved the way for a triumphant return of Philippine mangoes to Australian tables this April," FastboxPH Managing Director Miguel Ripol said.

FastboxPH is positioned to expand its reach across the country and establish partnerships with more retailers and distributors nationwide to ensure wider availability of Philippine mangoes to Australian consumers.

Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen de la Vega emphasized the importance of the second mango shipment under the strategic partnership forged in September 2023 between the two countries.

"The Philippines and Australia share a strong commitment to fostering trade ties, and the arrival of our mangoes signifies a delightful milestone in our partnership, especially as we celebrate Filipino Food Month in April," she said.

The Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Sydney (PTIC-Sydney), an agency under the DTI, spearheads the effort to broaden the market for high-quality Philippine agricultural goods, specifically mangoes. Through strategic measures like trade expos and consultations, PTIC-Sydney is actively striving to boost the global presence of Philippine products.

"With the DTI spearheading efforts and the unwavering dedication of all involved parties, the future of Philippine mango exports to Australia looks brighter than ever, promising mutual prosperity for both nations," the DTI said.

Philippines export receipts breached record

PH exports of goods, services breached $100B in 2023

Story by Alden M. Monzon

Inquirer.net

02 April 2024

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s export earnings from trade of goods and services breached the $100-billion mark in 2023, reaching a record-high level as receipts grew for the third consecutive year although still short of government and industry expectations.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Monday released preliminary data showing that exports of merchandise and services had reached $103.6 billion last year, 4.8 percent higher than the $98.83-billion receipts in 2022.

The country’s total export receipts totaled $87.97 billion in 2021, $80.03 billion in 2020, and $94.74 billion in 2019.

The growth was driven largely by the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) and tourism sectors, according to the government agency.

The DTI also pointed out that merchandise goods faced challenges during the year, with electronics contracting by 3.4 percent or $955 million.

Other commodities that contributed to the decline in merchandise exports include coconut products, other agro-based items, other mineral products and petroleum products.

In contrast, the DTI said fruits and vegetable exports experienced an increase in demand.

BPO, tourism post robust growth

For services exports, the DTI said the country had emerged as a “powerhouse,” recording a 17.4-percent growth, which pulled up the year’s total export performance.

In particular, the DTI said travel services contributed nearly 70 percent of the incremental service export receipts in 2023, followed by other business services.

Growth was also seen in several sectors including telecommunications, computer and information services and transport services.

Despite reaching record high in 2023, export revenues were below the target set by the government and export industry groups under the updated Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP).

Under the PEDP, the government and the private sector had set an export target of $126.8 billion for 2023, indicating that actual performance was around $23 billion short of the mark.

Looking ahead, the DTI said it is leveraging technology and digital services to enhance export capabilities, an initiative that includes the launch of a free e-curriculum for local exporters and the implementation of an origin management system to promote the use of free trade agreements.

“The path to global excellence and export growth requires shared ambition, where the government and the private sector must intensify and sustain collaborations,” Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said in a statement.

“We recognize the ongoing challenges in both the domestic and global trading environments and hope to address the binding constraints to Philippine export competitiveness as we continue to implement the PEDP for 2023 to 2028,” he added.

Completion of feasibility study for P1.2B Aurora ecozone bamboo farm eyed this year.