The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is pushing for the declaration of the proposed P4.7-billion Casiguran International Seaport as a national priority to advance plans for a large-scale port and ecozone expansion in Aurora.
APECO president and chief executive Gil Taway said the agency is not seeking immediate funding support but is asking the government to grant priority status to meet requirements set by prospective foreign partners, including firms from South Korea, Europe and the United States.
“We just want the government to declare it as a national priority,” Taway said, noting that such recognition is critical for ongoing engagements with international stakeholders, including those linked to the Port of Antwerp.
The proposed international seaport is undergoing a feasibility study led by South Korean infrastructure firm Yooshin Engineering Corp. and Philippine-based investment firm Lordsbridge Resources Corp.
Yooshin is updating the project’s technical, financial, environmental and social studies, while Lordsbridge is coordinating funding and investor engagement. Both firms are potential investors in the development.
The Casiguran seaport is envisioned as a modern international maritime hub designed to attract manufacturing investments and serve as a gateway for Pacific trade.
Taway said the project is positioned to tap into an estimated $960 billion trade volume between European economies and Pacific Rim countries, with the goal of encouraging European firms to relocate manufacturing operations to the Philippines.
APECO is mulling a massive expansion of the project’s coverage area, which is expected to exceed the size of the Port of Busan through expansion into areas such as Dikadi, Dinalungan, Dinasag and Kasiguran.
Initial development will focus on a 496-hectare parcel, with further expansion planned as part of broader strategy to transform the ecozone into a globally competitive logistics hub.
APECO is set to engage local government units and national agencies to build support for the expansion, alongside ongoing discussions with international partners and investors.
