The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is pushing for the proposed Casiguran international seaport to be declared a national priority, as the investment promotion agency (IPA) ramps up efforts to secure investor backing for the big-ticket infrastructure project.

APECO President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gil G. Taway IV told reporters last month that the IPA is seeking government support to elevate the project’s status, noting that such a declaration is a key requirement from potential foreign partners and financiers.

Taway met with Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go, the Marcos Jr. administration’s chief economic manager, last March 27 to advance the proposal, emphasizing that the immediate goal is not funding but official recognition of the seaport as a flagship national project.

On the sidelines of the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japanese-backed telecom firm InfiniVAN Inc., Taway said prospective seaport partners—including firms from Europe, South Korea, and the United States (US)—require the project to be tagged as a national priority before committing investments.

The APECO chief also said they have already engaged potential financiers following earlier discussions, with initial feedback indicating strong interest in the project.

The proposed seaport is envisioned as a major transshipment hub along the country’s eastern seaboard, capitalizing on Casiguran town’s strategic location facing the Pacific Ocean. Taway said the facility is designed to attract trade flows from the European Union (EU) and Pacific Rim economies, citing the substantial volume of commerce between EU economies and markets across Asia-Pacific and the US West Coast.

He added that the project forms part of a broader expansion plan for the ecozone, which includes extending development to nearby areas in Aurora province. The planned seaport alone is expected to exceed the scale of South Korea’s Busan Port, which spans about 750 hectares (ha), with APECO targeting more than double that footprint once fully developed across neighboring towns, Taway said.

At present, APECO’s Casiguran estate covers about 496 ha, which will serve as the initial development area for the seaport project.

Taway said APECO is also engaging surrounding local government units (LGUs) to support the expansion, as the IPA seeks to build a critical mass of infrastructure that could encourage foreign manufacturers to relocate operations to the ecozone.

Last year, Taway said the seaport project is envisioned as the first modern logistics facility on the country’s eastern seaboard and a key gateway for global trade.

A feasibility study (FS) conducted in 2011 by Export-Import Bank of Korea or Korea Eximbank estimated the project cost at $56 million, or about ₱4.7 billion when adjusted for inflation. The seaport forms part of a broader plan that includes complementary domestic and international airport projects aimed at improving connectivity and positioning APECO as a logistics and investment hub.

The IPA has been courting both domestic and foreign investors for its big-ticket transport infrastructure projects, which are deemed crucial to linking the ecozone more efficiently to global markets.