PARAÑAQUE CITY — The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is advancing plans for a major Pacific-facing port project as global geopolitical tensions highlight the vulnerability of traditional maritime trade routes.
During the Philippines Ports & Logistics 2026 in Parañaque City Wednesday, APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East underscores structural risks in the global shipping industry, particularly along the heavily used western maritime corridor connecting Asia to Europe through the waters in the Middle East.
“The traditional western maritime corridor remains the backbone of Asia–Europe trade, but it is also exposed to multiple geopolitical chokepoints. Recent tensions in the Middle East highlight how concentrated global trade routes remain vulnerable to disruption,” PCEO Taway said.
Major maritime chokepoints along this route include the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Suez Canal. Against this backdrop, PCEO Taway said the Pacific trade corridor is becoming more strategically important for global logistics.
To position the Philippines within this evolving maritime landscape, APECO is pushing forward with its flagship infrastructure project, the Casiguran International New Port, a greenfield port development located in Aurora province.
“APECO offers itself as a new gateway, a new trans-Pacific gateway. I would say that even without wars, even without these geopolitical realities or risks, this new gateway that is being offered by APECO is very significant for everyone to consider,” PCEO Taway said.
Facing the Pacific Ocean, the proposed port is envisioned to serve as a new maritime gateway that will support manufacturing, logistics, and export activities connecting the Philippines to the broader Asia-Pacific economy and to the rest of the world.
“APECO’s location gives the Philippines a strategic vantage point in the Pacific corridor. By developing a modern port here, we create an additional gateway that strengthens the country’s role in regional and global supply chains,” the investment promotion agency chief said.
“By strengthening infrastructure on the Pacific side of the Philippines, we contribute to a more resilient maritime network and create alternative gateways for global trade,” Taway said.
