PH’s 1st NATIONAL DEFENSE HUB TO RISE AT AURORA ECO ZONE

THE Philippine’s first national defense hub is set to be built at the 25-hectare Aurora economic zone.

This after the new administration of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) has  entered into a partnership with the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC).

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was sealed Friday, with a goal of transforming APECO into a thriving defense industry hub, covering a sprawling 25-hectare expanse within the economic zone.

PADC, the principal proponent of the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program (SRDP) of the Philippines and a catalyst behind the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), found APECO as a strategic location in the East given its natural location.

APECO will soon become the epicenter of PADC’s Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) operations and the  assembly site for various air assets, including that of the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard.

PADC’s investment in APECO shall also house its new flagship drone program that seeks to introduce new defense capabilities for the AFP and the key allies of the Philippines.

Primarily focusing on ecotourism in the past years, APECO now looks to catalyze rapid growth by including light and medium industries in its investor portfolio.

Newly-appointed APECO president and chief executive officer (CEO) attorney Gil Taway IV said that the partnership with PADC marks a significant shift in its direction.

“This collaboration is born out of a shared vision and a common commitment to the development and security of our nation. The primary goal of this partnership is to establish facilities for aerospace, aircraft, and drone equipment,” Taway said.

“These facilities are essential components of our Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program, a program dedicated to strengthening our national defense capabilities,” he further said.

“The partnership marks a new dawn for APECO, fittingly rising in the East, as it pivots towards supporting the Marcos administration’s thrusts of National Security, Food Security, and Energy Security,” Taway added.

With its new leader at the helm, APECO hopes to realize its long overdue potential by simply doing things differently.

Included in the strategy will be revisiting APECO’s Master Plan, this supposedly is the guiding document to what APECO should become and would reflect transparently the performance of the APECO administration.

At the heart of this renewed vision is the promotion of agri-aqua and public infrastructure initiatives as well as targeting investors in the aforementioned industries of national defense, food production, and energy generation.

Recognizing the immense potential of the zone’s coastal region, APECO is dedicated to harnessing Casiguran’s bountiful resources to transform the zone into a beacon of progress and a model for balanced and sustainable development while preserving and showcasing the natural wonders that make Aurora a true gem of the Philippines.

Located in Casiguran, Aurora, APECO shall be developed into and operated as a decentralized, self-reliant and self-sustaining industrial, commercial/trading, agro-industrial, tourist, banking, financial and investment center with suitable residential areas.

APECO is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), whose purpose is to attract investments, to generate jobs, and to improve social and economic conditions of the local community.