The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) will reopen its newly renovated tourism facilities next month, signaling a strategic move to boost local economic activity and strengthen its role in the development of Northern Aurora’s Dinalungan-Casiguran-Dilasag (DiCaDi) corridor.
Funded through APECO’s 2024 budget, the P44-million rehabilitation project includes the APECO Residences (20 hotel rooms), seven Executive Villas, a three-bedroom Executive Kubo, and the construction of control points and additional villas. Landscaping and site development are also underway to enhance the appeal of the ecozone, surrounded by the natural beauty of Sierra Madre and Casiguran Cove.
APECO president and CEO Gil G. Taway IV said the upgraded facilities are expected to generate sustainable revenue that could fully fund the P57-million annual personnel budget within three to five years of full occupancy. “This is APECO—where the Pacific meets Paradise,” he noted, emphasizing the project’s local economic and tourism potential.
The reopening aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s tourism revitalization agenda. The President recently underscored the sector’s importance—contributing over 8 percent to GDP—during his visit to Baler, Aurora, for the Bukas na May Pag-asa Para sa Turismo (BBMT) program.
As APECO prepares to scale visitor arrivals, it is pursuing a Permit to Operate (PTO) to enable commercial flights via the Casiguran airstrip. Early reservations are now open through apeco.gov.ph/hotel-and-villas.
This move is part of APECO’s broader push to position the DiCaDi corridor as a tourism destination, supporting local enterprises and integrating surrounding communities into its economic footprint. A separate P20-million project is also underway to convert the JPEC Buildings into APECO Legacy Villas, further expanding accommodation capacity.
