Just three months after his appointment to the top post of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO), President and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Gil Taway IV has brought immediate results by signing a deal for the development of a defense industry hub within the economic zone.
Last Jan. 21, 2024, Atty. Taway formally brought APECO into a partnership with the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC) to begin developing the country’s first national defense hub.
The PADC, which is the principal proponent of the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program (SRDP) of the Philippines and a catalyst behind the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), will build the hub within a sprawling 25-hectare expanse within the economic zone.
Given its strategic location in the eastern part of the country, APECO will soon become the epicenter of PADC’s Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) operations and as the assembly site for various air assets including that of the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard.
The hub will also house PADC’s new flagship drone program that seeks to introduce new defense capabilities for the AFP and the key allies of the Philippines.
After focusing on ecotourism in the recent past, APECO is looking to catalyze rapid growth by including light and medium industries in its investor portfolio.
“This collaboration is born out of a shared vision and a common commitment to the development and security of our nation. The primary goal of this partnership is to establish facilities for aerospace, aircraft, and drone equipment,” Pres. Taway stated, describing the partnership as aa significant shift in APECO’s direction.
In a press statement, APECO said that by pivoting towards supporting the Marcos Administration’s thrusts of National Security, Food Security, and Energy Security, it hopes to realize long overdue potential by revisiting APECO’s Master Plan.
At the core of the renewed vision by the new management is the promotion of agri-aqua and public infrastructure initiatives as well as targeting investors in the industries of national defense, food production, and energy generation.
“Recognizing the immense potential of the zone’s coastal region, APECO is dedicated to harnessing Casiguran’s bountiful resources to transform the zone into a beacon of progress and a model for balanced and sustainable development while preserving and showcasing the natural wonders that make Aurora a true gem of the Philippines,” it stated.
Established in 2007 in Casiguran, Aurora through Republic Act 9490, APECO is envisioned to be operated as a decentralized, self-reliant and self-sustaining industrial, commercial/trading, agro-industrial, tourist, banking, financial and investment center with suitable residential areas.