CASIGURAN, Aurora – The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is set to stage its first-ever international business forum on Aug. 23, welcoming a 55-member delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).
APECO President and CEO Gil G. Taway IV said the event aims to position Aurora as the Philippines’ next investment frontier.
The high-profile delegation, led by KADIN Chairman Anindya Bakrie, includes senior executives from key industries such as infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, energy, mining, shipping, aviation, and digital technology.
Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, which manages an estimated $900 billion in assets, is also expected to take part.
Keynote speakers will include Indonesian Ambassador Agus Widjojo and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.
Philippine government agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), and the Provincial Government of Aurora will present major infrastructure and sectoral investment opportunities, including APECO’s airport and seaport projects.
“This is a historic moment for APECO. For the first time, we are hosting a foreign business mission. The trust and confidence shown by KADIN and its members reflect Aurora’s growing role as an investment gateway to the Pacific,” Taway IV said in a statement Thursday.
Taway said the forum aims to match Indonesian capital with investment-ready projects in Casiguran, Aurora, spanning coconut and fisheries processing, renewable energy, eco-tourism, logistics, and defense-related industries.
With its location on the eastern seaboard, the ecozone is being positioned as a transshipment hub linking Southeast Asia with key markets in Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
Taway noted that the event also marks a milestone for the agency’s “Bagong APECO” reset, which seeks to reposition the zone as a strategic economic and national security hub, aligning with the Philippines’ broader regional development and defense priorities.
APECO PHOTO
