"APECO is still here, and more importantly, it is a New APECO."

This was the statement of Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) President Atty. Gil Taway during his State of APECO Address (SOAA) on Friday, 12 December 2025, in Aurora.

Taway outlined significant reforms, infrastructure accomplishments, and the agency’s renewed push toward a long-term industrialization strategy for Aurora Province, held at the APECO Administration Building, Corporate Campus, Casiguran town.

Taway identified the challenges that greeted the agency two years ago, including limited resources, organizational gaps, and the heavy burden of legacy issues.

The official cited that through collective effort, the agency restored credibility and regained the trust of national agencies, investors, local communities, and the public.

APECO’s improved performance was reaffirmed by positive findings from the Commission on Audit (COA), which Taway cited as evidence of transparent and responsible stewardship of public funds.

Taway said that part of what he described as “transformative governance” was rebuilding relationships with stakeholders.

The agency institutionalized quarterly consultations with indigenous peoples (IP) chieftains, opened an IP Desk and IP Lounge inside the ecozone, and facilitated the long-delayed processing of Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), some of which date back to 2007. The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has approved the CADTs and is finalizing their release.

APECO also strengthened coordination with the Provincial Government of Aurora and the local governments of Dinalungan, Casiguran, and Dilasag, integrating them into planning activities for the DiCaDi development corridor.

Taway emphasized that APECO has reemerged as a viable investment destination. Investor inquiries doubled over the past year, signaling renewed confidence in the ecozone.

A September investment mission to Spain produced concrete outcomes, including ongoing preparations for a Memorandum of Understanding with Fira Barcelona and IDOM for studies on food and cold chain logistics, port development, and the design of a world-class convention and exhibition center aligned with APECO’s tourism and MICE strategy.

APECO also partnered with KADIN Indonesia to host the first APECO Business Forum, mobilizing foreign interest in potential investments.

Among nine previously abandoned projects worth almost P800 million, four have already been fully completed: Sewage Treatment Plant Phase 1, Central Water Supply and Reservoir Phase 1, the Fire Station, and Fire Protection Equipment acquisition.

Other major facilities — including Underground Electric Power Distribution Lines, the Corporate Office Building, and water supply upgrades — are nearing completion.

Recently completed facilities such as the Motorpool, Materials Recovery Facility, Control Points, Super Health Center, and the refurbished APECO Villas and Residences are now operational and support growing activity within the ecozone.

Taway highlighted the approval of APECO’s Master Development Plan, describing it as a “blueprint of responsible land use and strategic urban planning,” aligned with national priorities in food security, energy, clean technology, defense manufacturing, and tourism.

Calling industrialization the “next chapter of APECO’s journey,” Taway explained that the ecozone aims to establish an integrated value-chain system benefiting farmers and fisherfolk.

Key components include agro-industrial centers for post-harvest processing, packaging, fish cold chain systems, and marine processing infrastructure — all intended to secure fair pricing for local producers and ease access to domestic and global markets.

One of the agency’s long-term ambitions is to position APECO as the Philippines’ first national defense hub, anchored on defense manufacturing. The Department of National Defense recently conducted an ocular visit to assess the feasibility of locating related industries within the ecozone.

APECO’s airport is nearing completion of corrective measures required by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). The agency expects to secure its permit-to-operate before year-end, with commercial flights targeted by the first quarter of 2026. Construction of the terminal building will begin shortly afterward.

For port development, APECO signed a Memorandum of Agreement with South Korea’s Yooshin Engineering Corporation for the development of the Casiguran International New Port.