Ang Pahayagan

CASIGURAN, Aurora – The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is being positioned as the Philippines’ first national defense-oriented hub, with U.S. veterans and defense logistics firms identifying its potential role in unmanned systems, defense manufacturing, and humanitarian operations under the country’s Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) law.

Speaking at the 1st APECO Business Forum, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Anglicotech CEO David Cooper said the ecozone’s location and infrastructure make it a viable site for unmanned systems and logistics operations. He cited the relatively uncongested airspace and existing airport facilities in Casiguran as ideal for large drone logistics, training, and maintenance.

“One advantage you can have when you aren’t as developed as your neighbor is you can leapfrog. You can leapfrog technology and process,” Cooper said. “What we could possibly do with the airport in APECO is actually bring in an unmanned systems hub for Luzon. I’m thinking of unmanned logistics, very large logistics drones.”

Cooper also pointed to Casiguran’s natural deep-water port as a potential “bespoke supply chain node” that could serve both national defense and commercial industries. Currently used as a storm refuge, the harbor is believed to be even deeper than Subic Bay once fully developed, providing alternative access to congested hubs like Manila while extending trade and security reach to Guam, Palau, and other Pacific routes.

Another U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tim Koeppl, president of MariSOC LLC, drew parallels between APECO’s prospects and Djibouti, which successfully transformed into a logistics and defense hub that accelerated its economic growth.

The SRDP law, signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in October 2024, aims to bolster local defense manufacturing capabilities, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ammunition, propellants, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. Investors noted that APECO’s expansive land and streamlined governance could provide fewer bureaucratic hurdles for foreign defense and dual-use companies looking to invest.

Both Cooper and Koeppl emphasized that defense investments in APECO would have dual-use applications, particularly in disaster preparedness and humanitarian response—an urgent priority for a country frequently hit by typhoons and natural disasters.

“Defense also is very close to humanitarian assistance,” Cooper explained. “It’s the same equipment, the same people that are there when you need that problem solved.”

APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV said the ecozone envisions becoming the Philippines’ first national defense hub that balances security, humanitarian, and economic goals.

“APECO’s location, deep-water port, and airfield give us the ability to support both commercial and defense industries,” Taway said. “Our vision is to create the country’s first national defense base that also serves humanitarian and economic purposes: to generate jobs for Aurora, build resilience for communities, and strengthen the Philippines’ role in the Indo-Pacific. We are opening our doors to defense and dual-use firms to be part of this development and help us shape a secure and inclusive future.”

By branding itself as both a strategic defense outpost and a resilient supply chain hub on Luzon’s Pacific coast, APECO hopes to attract new industries aligned with shifting geopolitical and economic currents in the Indo-Pacific region. (Jason de Asis)

📸 Anglicotech Founder and CEO David Cooper (left) and MariSOC LLC President Tim Koeppl during the panel discussions at the 1st APECO Business Forum on 23 August 2025 at Conrad Manila, Pasay City. (Jason de Asis)