Moderna plans to establish a vaccine making facility in the Philippines, which will create job opportunities for healthcare professionals.
During a meeting at Blair House in Washington DC, Moderna's Chief Commercial Officer Arpa Garay and Senior Vice President Patrick Bergstedt said that they will set up a 'Shared Service Facility for Pharmacovigilance' in the country, which will serve the entire Asia Pacific region.
"We are really excited to have selected the Philippines for the third one primarily because you know the capabilities exist," Garay said.
"We have the talent that exists, and we know that the partnership will be one that can be beneficial for both Moderna and the Philippines," she added.
The facility will also have other shared services and employ around 50 staff, with a potential location in either Makati or Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
This project will be Moderna's first investment in the Philippines and its first in Asia.
Marcos expressed gratitude and acknowledged the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing the country's healthcare industry.
"The opportunity to build shared services in areas of interest, connecting with the scientific, academic opportunity with Moderna, the ministry of health is something that we’re very, very interested in," said the president.
"The most important part is that we sat down and drew the program, and say this is how we approach the problem … Those are the kind of skills that we need. With your experience in other countries, there are many lessons that we could learn that can be applied in the Philippines," he added.
