Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport (APECO) is rolling out a P220-million infrastructure blitz to turn Northern Aurora’s Dinalungan–Casiguran–Dilasag (DiCaDi) corridor from postcard potential into an investable tourism gateway.
Think of it as the long game—concrete first, cash flow later.
This year, the agency will bid out a clutch of projects designed less for instant payback than for planting flags. “It’s a loss leader,” says APECO president and CEO Gil Taway IV, betting that roads, roofs, and runways will eventually do what brochures can’t: convince private investors to follow.
The lineup reads like a starter kit for destination-making. Phase 1 of a P52-million convention center, up for bidding in February, anchors APECO’s MICE ambitions.
A month later comes Phase 2 of the Grand Lagoon project, building on an ongoing P50-million first phase and promising gondolas, glamping, and curated retail—equal parts leisure and Instagram bait.
January will see one of three ready-for-occupancy, ready-for-fit-out buildings (P40 million total) hit the market, pitched as flexible office space or co-working hubs for digital nomads who prefer sea breezes to skylines.
Aviation gets its share, too: a P35-million airport terminal in March and a P43-million air traffic control tower in April, both key if Casiguran is to graduate from chartered flights to commercial service.
These moves build on last October’s reopening of APECO’s tourism facilities after a P44-million rehabilitation. The refreshed Residences, Executive Villas, and a three-bedroom Executive Kubo sit between the Sierra Madre and Casiguran Cove—now framed by native landscaping, new walkways, and added villas.
APECO is strategically tackling the classic chicken-and-egg problem of tourism development. Infrastructure lowers risk, accommodations unlock access, and access creates demand. With pristine beaches, waterfalls, and heritage sites like the 419-year-old Ermita Church, DiCaDi has the raw assets. What it lacked was a door.
APECO is busy building that door—runways, lagoons, and all—and betting that once opened, visitors and investors will walk right in.
