The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) will stage its first business forum on Aug. 23, 2025, in Pasay City, with Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara, which manages over $900 billion in assets, joining the high-level business delegation.
Danantara’s participation underscores growing confidence in APECO’s investment prospects and signals strong interest in Aurora as the Philippines’ emerging gateway to the Pacific.
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), led by chairman Anindya Bakrie, will bring a 55-member delegation of senior executives from infrastructure, agriculture, food and beverage, healthcare, finance, mining, shipping, aviation and technology sectors.
“This is a historic moment for APECO. For the first time, we are receiving and hosting a foreign business mission. The trust and confidence shown by KADIN and its members reflect the growing recognition of Aurora and the eastern seaboard as an investment frontier,” said APECO president and chief executive Gil Taway IV.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) vowed to highlight APECO’s airport and seaport projects, while the provincial government of Aurora will present priority investment opportunities.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will showcase current programs with APECO.
The business forum will explore areas of synergy between APECO and Indonesian enterprises, positioning the Casiguran-based ecozone as a strategic launchpad for exports to Japan, South Korea and the United States.
Discussions will cover APECO’s investment landscape, spanning transport infrastructure, fisheries and coconut industries, eco-tourism, renewable energy and the plan to build the country’s first national defense hub.
APECO envisions Aurora as a future transshipment and logistics hub that will connect Southeast Asia to the wider Pacific.
