The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is moving to expand the planned Casiguran International Seaport, aiming to transform it into a major Pacific-facing gateway for global trade.
APECO President and CEO Gil Taway IV said the agency is pushing to widen the port’s coverage beyond Casiguran to include nearby Dinalungan and Dilasag, forming part of the broader DiCaDi corridor.
The expansion is designed to maximize APECO’s 12,923-hectare mandate and position the project to compete with established regional hubs such as Busan Port.
Central to the plan is securing a “national priority” designation, which Taway said is key to unlocking interest from prospective investors in South Korea, Europe, and the US.
The proposed seaport is envisioned as a strategic logistics hub supporting trans-Pacific trade, including a share of the European Union’s USD960-billion trade flows along major maritime routes.
Momentum for the project has picked up following a tripartite agreement signed in October 2025 with South Korea’s Yooshin Engineering Corp. and Lordsbridge Resources Corp.
Under the deal, Yooshin will update the project’s feasibility study, while Lordsbridge will lead efforts to secure financing from international partners. Early indications from Korean stakeholders point to strong interest in moving the project forward.
Once completed, the seaport is expected to handle more than one million tons of cargo annually and serve as the logistics backbone of the ecozone.
With phased development targeted through 2030, APECO is aligning the project with national priorities, including economic expansion, energy security, and improved regional competitiveness.
