PGMA Inaugurates Unilab's
Newest Facility in Laguna
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2007 | BUSINESS
BINAN, Laguna -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
inaugurated today United Laboratories’ (Unilab)
newest manufacturing subsidiary – Amherst Laboratories Inc. – in simple
ceremonies at the plant’s headquarters in Mamplasan,
this town.
The President, who arrived here at exactly 10 a.m., was welcomed by Trade and
Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Health
Undersecretary Margarita Galon, Unilab
Chairman Jocelyn Campos Hess, Unilab President and
CEO Carlos Ejercito, Unilab
Vice Chairman Clinton Campos Hess, Laguna Governor Teresita
Lazaro and Biñan Mayor Hermis Perez.
The Chief Executive proceeded to unveil the inaugural marker formally opening
the plant and its operations to the public. She was then given a tour of the
plant’s facilities.
Nestor Felicio, Unilab vice
president for strategic manufacturing and supply chain management, briefed the
President on the various stages of manufacturing medicines, including
dispensing, granulation, coating and packaging.
Felicio spent a good part of the tour describing to
the President the state-of-the-art air filtration system the plant employs to
ensure that its facilities are 100 percent or close to 100 percent dust and
bacteria free.
He said that during the 15 minutes it took the President and her party to tour
the plant’s facilities, the air within the building had "changed" or
had undergone different stages of cleansing at least six times.
"This ensures that utmost care is taken by the company to provide the
consumers with clean, high quality medicines," Felicio
said.
Aside from the state-of-the-art air filtration system, anyone (employees and
guests) who enters the highly restricted area are required to don all-white
gowns and protective foot gear linings to further prevent any entry of unwanted
dust and bacteria into the building.
After the tour, the President and her entourage were ushered to the
Administration canteen where a short program was presented.
Amherst Laboratories, Inc. sits on a sprawling 35,000-square meter property
that forms part of the Unilab Pharma
Campus in Laguna. It is complete with new facilities that are at par with the
world’s best, making it the most modern manufacturing plant for pharmaceutical
and healthcare products in the country today.
At a cost of P1.7 billion, Amherst has a total building area of 24,000 sq.
meters, with a 5,500-sq. meter single floor interstitial machine room, a
4,000-sq. meter warehouse for common materials and finished goods, a quality
assurance laboratory, and a two-storey administration building that houses a
multipurpose room, a training room, an employees cafeteria and locker amenities
for employees and staff.
Started in March 2005 and completed one and a half years later in October 2006,
Some of the notable products Unilab, and now through