Ang Pahayagan

AURORA – The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) will stage its first-ever international business forum on August 23, 2025, bringing in a 55-member delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) in a bid to position Aurora as the Philippines’ next investment frontier.

The high-profile delegation, led by KADIN Chairman Anindya Bakrie, includes senior executives across strategic industries—ranging from infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, energy, mining, shipping, aviation, to digital technology. Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara, which manages an estimated USD 900 billion in assets, is also expected to take part.

Keynote speakers will include Indonesian Ambassador Agus Widjojo and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. Philippine government agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), 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,” APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV said.

APECO officials 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.

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, aligned with the Philippines’ broader regional development and defense priorities.

By drawing Indonesia’s top business leaders, APECO officials said the forum underscores rising international confidence in Aurora and opens the door for long-term partnerships that can fuel inclusive growth in the province and beyond. (Jason de Asis)