SHARED SERVICE FACILITY. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (4th from right) and other Philippine government officials meet with officials of Pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna at the Blair House in Washington DC on Tuesday (May 2, 2023). Moderna announced its plan to establish a shared service facility for pharmacovigilance in the Philippines that will serve the entire Asia-Pacific region. (Photo courtesy of PCO)
MANILA – Pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna on Tuesday announced its plan to establish a shared service facility for pharmacovigilance in the Philippines that will serve the entire Asia-Pacific region.
Moderna chief commercial officer Arpa Garay and senior vice president and general manager Patrick Bergstedt made the announcement during a meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and other Philippine officials at the Blair House in Washington DC.
The Moderna officials said the shared service facility is expected to provide more employment opportunities to health professionals in the Philippines, which they said is the “perfect location” for their third shared service facility in the world.
“We are really excited to have selected the Philippines for the third one primarily because you know the capabilities exist. 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,” Garay said.
According to the World Health Organization, pharmacovigilance is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of the adverse effects or any other medicine/vaccine-related problem.
All medicines and vaccines undergo rigorous testing for safety and efficacy through clinical trials before they are authorized for use.
The project will be the first investment by Moderna in the Philippines and its first in Asia.
It is expected to employ about 50 staff composed of health professionals with their shortlisted office location either in Makati or at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
Marcos said this development would give the country advantage in health care.
“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," he said.
"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.”
Marcos met with the Moderna officials at the Blair House in Washington DC on Tuesday afternoon, along with former president and now House of Representatives Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Speaker Martin Romualdez, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual and Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil.
Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr., Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, and DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo were also present during the meeting. (PNA)
