Moderna Inc., a vaccine manufacturer and Nasdaq-listed company, has announced plans to open a facility in the Philippines, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, Moderna chief commercial officer Arpa Garay and senior vice president and general manager Patrick Bergstedt have discussed the envisioned “Shared Service Facility for Pharmacovigilance” with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at a meeting at Blair House in Washington.
Once the facility is up and running, it will be Moderna’s only shared service center in Asia and the third worldwide behind Georgia in the US and Poland.
Malacañang said 50 health professionals are anticipated to work there, and there will be offices in Makati and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
Enterprise Solutions Hub
In an emailed statement, Moderna said it would also create an Enterprise Solutions Hub in the Philippines and begin operations there by the third quarter of the year.
“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.
Marcos, for his part, said the Philippines is “very, very interested” in the opportunity to build shared services with the company.
“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.
Business services
For his part, Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, announced that the Moderna Enterprise Solutions Hub will provide business services across the Asia Pacific region, where Moderna currently has operations in six markets, as well as establishing commercial operations in the country.
In a statement Wednesday, he said, “We are pleased to expand our footprint into the Philippines by establishing an Enterprise Solutions Hub and commercial operations. The Philippines has a critical mix of talent and global business service expertise, which makes it an excellent location to scale efficiently and provide regional support.”
According to Bancel, the Asia-Pacific region is integral to Moderna’s business, with established subsidiaries in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
Philippine site
“We look forward to further solidifying our presence. The addition of the Philippine site completes our strategy to provide regional solutions across the business, complementing our existing locations in Atlanta, Georgia, which services the Americas, and Warsaw, Poland, which covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” he stressed.
The country will be Moderna’s third Enterprise Solutions Hub, serving the Asia-Pacific market, as they believe that the Philippines has the talent and the capabilities to support Moderna’s operations and drive its expansion throughout the region.
With such pronouncement by Moderna, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said the Philippines is well-positioned to host global services and facilities advancing health and pharmaceutical technology.
Partnership with Moderna
“Our partnership with Moderna underscores the Philippines’ position in promoting healthcare and addressing emerging health threats. It also highlights Moderna’s role in delivering life-saving vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic and the ability and promise of their mRNA platform,” he said.
Operations of the Moderna Enterprise Solutions Hub in the country would mean that the company will be providing enterprise solutions in the Philippines, similar to its counterparts in Warsaw, Poland and Atlanta, US, which were established in May 2021 and March 2022, respectively.