Casiguran: The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) broke ground on Tuesday on six major infrastructure projects worth PHP415.73 million, aimed at strengthening energy, road, and tourism facilities in the Casiguran-based ecozone.
According to Philippines News Agency, the projects are part of the ‘Bagong APECO’ governance thrust and include the PHP290 million Underground Power Distribution Line (UPDL) Phases 3 and 4, the PHP43 million 4-lane APECO Central Expressway, the PHP42.42 million Spine Road Phase 3 APECO Perimeter Road, the PHP10.28 million Esteves-to-Binaoan Gate Road Expansion, the PHP10 million Coastal Slope Protection with Road Construction Phases 1 and 2, and the PHP20 million rehabilitation of JPEC Beachfront Villas, soon to be the New APECO Villas.
APECO President and CEO Gil G. Taway IV stated that the initiatives are designed to make the ecozone ‘investment-ready’ and to address long-standing infrastructure gaps. Taway emphasized that these projects represent the physical proof of Bagong APECO, laying the foundations for future investments.
NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano C. Almeda, who attended the event, highlighted the UPDL expansion as a ‘symbol of unwavering dedication’ to long-term progress in Casiguran. He pointed out the system’s role in creating a storm-resilient, climate-adaptive power grid to support future renewable energy projects.
APECO indicated that the upgraded roads will improve logistics efficiency, enabling the transport of raw materials, containerized goods, and oversized cargo, while positioning the zone as a future transshipment hub along the Pacific coast.
For tourism, Taway mentioned that the revival of the New APECO Villas will transform idle assets into a revenue-generating facility under the APECO Tourism Properties Unit, aligned with the agency’s goal of attracting quality investors.
The new initiatives are in addition to nearly PHP800 million worth of previously abandoned projects that have been completed, inaugurated, or are currently under construction.
