Atty. Gil G. Taway IV, president and CEO of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO), has urged the national government to declare the Casiguran International New Port project a national priority to position the freeport in the Aurora province as a global logistics and manufacturing hubs amid geopolitical tensions that expose the vulnerability of traditional maritime trade routes.
Speaking during the Philippines Ports & Logistics 2026 event in Parañaque City on Wednesday, Taway 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 Middle Eastern waters.
While APECO is strongly pitching for private sector participation in the construction of its flagship international port project, PCEO Taway said, “We are asking the government to help us, how? One, to declare this flagship project of APECO, the Casiguran International New Port, as a national priority.”
APECO has also produced a white paper outlining the compelling business case for the flagship project.
“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, Taway said the Pacific trade corridor is becoming increasingly important for global logistics.
“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 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,” he said.
Establishing the proposed global logistics hub would also benefit Filipino manufacturers.
The APECO chief said he has already written to secretaries of concerned government agencies to seek an audience and present the project’s business case.
“With the data that we’ve presented to the policy people, and the compelling business case, I think they will seriously consider our supplications,” said PCEO Taway.
