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The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority is moving to plug itself into the Luzon Economic Corridor, proposing a cross-Luzon railway that would give its Casiguran ecozone direct access to the western hubs through a public-private partnership arrangement
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APECO is also looking to tap PPP for the development of its international airport, a seaport, and an expressway
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The agency is seeking government funding through the PPP Center’s Project Development and Monitoring Facility to finance feasibility studies for the four major infrastructure projects
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APECO said public funding for feasibility studies is key to attracting private-sector investment
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The proposed railway would connect Aurora to major LEC hubs, including Clark and Subic
The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is moving to plug itself into the Luzon Economic Corridor, proposing a cross-Luzon railway that would give its Casiguran ecozone direct access to the western hubs through public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Further, APECO is looking to tap PPP for the development of its international airport, a seaport, and an expressway.
APECO president and CEO Gil Taway IV told reporters on July 16 that the investment promotion agency is preparing proposals for all four infrastructure projects to tap the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF), a funding mechanism administered by the PPP Center that covers feasibility studies for potential PPP projects.
The centerpiece is the proposed East-West Railway Project, which would move people and cargo from Aurora province on Luzon’s Pacific coast westward to the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) anchors such as Clark and Subic Bay.
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APECO business development and marketing division manager Gene Angelo Ferrer said the railway, and a companion expressway the agency plans to propose alongside it, is the missing link that would allow APECO to capitalize on the LEC’s growth momentum.
“We understand the complementation between APECO and the LEC. The connection of the railway and road infrastructure is the one that will actually activate that,” Ferrer said.
Taway said landing public funding for feasibility work is a prerequisite for attracting private capital.
The other two projects in the PDMF pipeline are the Casiguran International Airport and the Casiguran International New Port. On the airport, Taway said APECO expects to bid out the air traffic control tower and passenger terminal building before the end of July, with the two components carrying a combined estimated cost of P60 million.
Cebu Pacific and boutique carrier Sunlight Air have already signaled interest in launching flights from the airport once it becomes operational.
For the seaport, Taway said APECO is also exploring funding from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to accelerate the feasibility study.
The LEC is a multilateral infrastructure and investment initiative backed by the Philippines, the United States, Japan, and partner countries, designed to stimulate economic activity across the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas corridor through coordinated public and private investment.
READ: APECO puts spotlight on Casiguran as complementary Pacific-facing logistics hub
