The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Zone Authority (APECO) has begun construction and rehabilitation of six major infrastructure projects worth ₱415.73 million in energy, road, and tourism, the authority said in a news release.
Funded through savings from a review of programs and projects since 2007, the projects were launched on August 12 and include:
- ₱290M Underground Power Distribution Line (UPDL) Phases 3 & 4
- ₱43M 4-lane APECO Central Expressway
- ₱42.42M Spine Road Phase 3 APECO Perimeter Road
- ₱10.28M Esteves to Binaoan Gate Road Expansion
- ₱10M Coastal Slope Protection with Road Construction Phases 1 & 2
- ₱20M rehabilitation of JPEC Beachfront Villas, soon to be the New APECO Villas
“These projects are more than concrete, steel, and cables. They are the physical proof of Bagong APECO… We are laying the foundations so that when investors ask, ‘Is APECO ready?’—the answer will be a confident ‘Yes’,” said APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV.
The UPDL aims to stabilize electricity supply and prepare the ecozone for renewable energy projects, ending decades of unreliable power that hindered high-value industries.
NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano C. Almeda, who attended the groundbreaking, said, “This is not just a construction project—it is the symbol of our unwavering dedication to support long-term progress in Casiguran, Aurora,” adding it will make the power system “efficient and climate-adaptive.”
Upgraded road networks will improve logistics, while tourism assets such as the New APECO Villas will be revived as revenue-generating facilities.
“Bagong APECO is about growing together with the right investors… We are building the infrastructure now so growth can come faster and benefit everyone,” Taway added.
