The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) has renewed its collaboration with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to advance inclusive and sustainable development programs that promote the welfare and participation of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in and around the Casiguran-based economic zone.
In a recent meeting between APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV and NCIP Region III Director Atty. Roman A. Antonio, both agencies reaffirmed their shared commitment to transparency, joint decision-making, and equitable growth in ecozone development.
“We are taking deliberate steps to ensure that development in APECO is both participatory and respectful of Indigenous rights. Our partnership with NCIP anchors this commitment on transparency, shared decision-making, and equitable growth,” Taway said.
Among the key initiatives discussed were the establishment of an Indigenous Peoples Cooperative, a consultative dialogue for a Joint Management Agreement (JMA) with IP communities, and assistance in the Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) process for the delineation of ancestral domains.
The proposed IP Cooperative will empower Indigenous communities to directly engage in ecozone-linked economic activities. It will also promote livelihood and microenterprise projects rooted in traditional knowledge, provide access to training and financial literacy programs, and strengthen Indigenous participation in local economic planning.
Once operational, the cooperative will serve as APECO’s strategic partner in managing community-based ventures and implementing social enterprise projects within designated areas of the ecozone.
Complementing this effort, APECO is pursuing the creation of a JMA — a governance framework that will institutionalize co-stewardship between APECO and Indigenous communities. The agreement aims to define clear roles in land management, resource utilization, and benefit-sharing, ensuring that IP rights are protected while advancing the ecozone’s sustainable development agenda.
APECO also requested NCIP’s assistance in the FPIC process for delineation and demarcation activities to be led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Aurora. These will be conducted in Parcel 2 of the San Ildefonso Peninsula to identify Indigenous settlements and clarify ecozone boundaries.
“While Republic Act 10083 grants APECO management and oversight of Parcel 2, which includes areas overlapping with ancestral domains, this does not mean APECO will take ownership of these lands. The law provides only administrative supervision for development purposes,” APECO clarified in a letter to NCIP.
Under its “Bagong APECO” reform agenda, the agency is steering toward a governance model that restores stakeholder trust and ensures no community is left behind.
“Bagong APECO is not just about infrastructure or investment. It is about building a model of inclusive growth where Indigenous communities are equal partners in progress,” Taway added.
In a related effort, APECO Business Development and Marketing Division Manager Gene Angelo P. Ferrer attended the monthly meeting of the Komite ng Sama-Samang Pag-Unlad (KSSP) alongside Director Antonio, Ayta Ambala Chieftain Christine Frenilla, and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. The JMA of SBMA with its IP settlement will serve as APECO’s reference model for its own co-management framework.