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The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority is seeking investments from American and Canadian firms in defense industries, clean energy, and data centers through a series of investment promotion activities
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The investment briefings, site visits, and government-to-business meetings are scheduled in Texas, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. as well as Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary
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The agency will promote its 12,923-hectare ecozone in Casiguran, Aurora, and the incentives available under the CREATE MORE Act
The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is seeking investments from American and Canadian companies in defense-related industries, clean energy, and data centers through a series of investment promotion activities in the two countries.
The investment mission runs from October 24 to 30 in the United States and from November 2 to 6 in Canada, with APECO president and CEO Gil Taway IV leading the delegation, APECO announced.
The agency will conduct investment briefings, site visits and government-to-business meetings in Texas, Maryland and Washington, D.C., followed by engagements in Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary.
APECO will promote its 12,923-hectare economic zone and freeport in Casiguran, Aurora, highlighting its Pacific-facing location and the expanded fiscal and non-fiscal incentives under the CREATE MORE Act.
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The agency aims to attract private investors to support its plans to develop Aurora into a gateway for trade and investment across the Pacific.
“As a Pacific-facing ecozone, we can be a reliable investment location for investors looking to establish presence in the Philippines, access the broader region, and take advantage of the two major economies’ multimillion-dollar Indo-Pacific strategies,” Taway said.
“This mission will allow us to meet prospective American and Canadian investors and develop future projects that benefit the strategic but still untapped Aurora,” he added.
US mission to pursue energy, defense projects
In the United States, APECO will follow up on initial discussions with American companies, including defense firm Anglicotech LLC and global consulting firm Valent.
The delegation will also participate in a roundtable discussion with the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas and a networking reception with the US-Philippines Society hosted by Planate Management Group.
APECO will sign agreements concerning possible financing and the installation of a liquefied natural gas-based power generation facility, as well as defense-related economic activities within the zone.
The investment promotion agency is coordinating with the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Washington, D.C., and the Philippine Consulate General in Houston, Texas.
Canadian briefings target 100 business executives
In Canada, APECO will hold investment briefings in Montreal on November 2 and Calgary on November 5.
About 100 business executives and representatives from infrastructure, energy, mining, critical minerals, defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and logistics are expected to attend the two events.
The briefings are being organized in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary, and the PTIC in Toronto.
Mon Abrea, founder of Asian Consulting Group and a global tax policy expert, will join the delegation. APECO’s public- and private-sector partners for the Canadian events include the Government of Alberta, Calgary Economic Development, Fasken and HEC Montreal Entrepreneurship Hub.
“We see strong opportunities to build partnerships with American and Canadian businesses, who have the resources, technology and established expertise to drive the zone’s growth and development,” Taway said.
“The US and Canada both place greater focus on creating an open and more connected Indo-Pacific and have been increasing investments in infrastructure and clean energy to make supply chains in the region more resilient. This opens up opportunities for us to introduce what APECO and its strategic investment location has to offer,” he added.
Located along the country’s eastern seaboard facing the Pacific Ocean, APECO is positioning itself as a potential site for investors seeking maritime access to major markets, including the United States, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.
The agency also sees the ecozone as a complementary node for the Luzon Economic Corridor, a trilateral initiative involving the Philippines, the United States and Japan.
READ: APECO, Huge Energy sign MOU for renewable energy project in Aurora
