At the 1st Aurora Business Forum, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Anglicotech CEO David Cooper underscored the province’s potential to leapfrog technology adoption under the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) law, signed in 2024 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Aurora’s uncongested airspace gives us a unique opportunity to establish an unmanned systems hub for Luzon. We’re looking at drone logistics, large-scale warehousing, and maintenance facilities,” Cooper said, adding that the area’s airport and seaport could serve as anchors for both commercial and defense-related operations.

He noted that Casiguran’s deep-water port, currently used by ships as a storm refuge, could be developed into a “bespoke supply chain node” deeper than Subic Bay, extending Philippine reach eastward to Guam, Palau, and Pacific trade routes.

Another U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tim Koeppl, president of MariSOC LLC, compared Aurora’s prospects to Djibouti—whose rapid economic growth was driven by its transformation into a logistics and defense hub—suggesting a similar trajectory for the Philippines.

Under the SRDP law, the government seeks to build local defense manufacturing capacity, covering unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Aurora’s land availability and streamlined governance were cited by investors as key advantages in attracting foreign firms.

Both Cooper and Koeppl highlighted the dual-use value of the proposed facilities, stressing that technologies for defense—such as drones and logistics equipment—are equally vital for disaster response.

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

Aurora’s positioning as a strategic defense outpost and alternative supply chain hub is expected to generate jobs, enhance resilience, and strengthen the country’s role in the Indo-Pacific.

“Our vision is to create the Philippines’ first national defense base that also serves humanitarian and economic purposes: to generate jobs for Aurora, build resilience for communities, and strengthen the country’s role in the region,” said APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV, who emphasized the ecozone’s openness to defense and dual-use industries.