Press Release
July 18, 2011

TAIWANESE COMPANIES COMMIT INVESTMENT IN AURORA ECOZONE

Four Taiwanese-owned companies have signified their interest to invest in mariculture, agribusiness and port construction in the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO), in recognition of the ecozone and province's enormous potential for business expansion.

Robbie Mathay, chief executive officer and president of APECO, flew the representatives of Chinabond International Co. Ltd, TP Color Corporation, Great Sun Optoelectronic and Philippine Kingford, Inc. to Aurora today for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, which was witnessed by Senator Edgardo J. Angara.

All four companies affirmed their commitment to help develop APECO as a leading global transhipment and investment hub in the Pacific.

"Infrastructure development and investment inflow have always tilted to the western side of the country. APECO provides a long-overdue opportunity for the provinces along the country's eastern seaboard to benefit from development. Even Northeast and Central Luzon will gain from positive spillovers such as income and job creation," said Angara.

"These foreign-owned companies are giving APECO a strong vote of confidence. They are pioneering Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in an ecozone that will engineer sustainable rural development across the country's eastern side," he added.

Chinabond has been in the mining industry since the 1980's but is now venturing into organic rice production in APECO. It aims to improve the quality and yield of local rice varieties in Aurora. Chinabond is also looking into further investments in hog raising, feed processing and hydroelectric power generation.

TP Color Corporation, which is also in the mining industry, is set to expand into port construction and operation. The company initially plans to establish a port facility in APECO then later on go into the aquaculture business.

Philippine Kingford is a company that specializes in tuna export, ship repair and freight forwarding. The company has chosen APECO as the site of for its expansion into milkfish and grouper production, for which it will build its own facility in APECO.

Great Sun Optoelectronic is a highly diversified company engaged in construction, trading, manufacturing computer and TV monitors and providing medical services. It will invest in an aquaculture facility for milkfish and grouper breeding, as well as a coconut processing plant.

"These investors are capitalizing on the competitive advantages of Aurora in agriculture and mariculture-related industries. They are aware that Aurora is among the few provinces in the country that is still rich in natural resources - and they are committed to harnessing these for development in no less than sustainable ways," explained Angara.

APECO spans 1,000 hectares of land in the town of Casiguran. It has a custom-designed seaport and airport that will drive economic activity in agro-industries, mariculture and ecotourism.

"APECO is the country's premier Gateway to the Pacific owing to its strategic location. Its accessibility to Manila and to other logistic and investment hubs in Luzon via land and air makes it an ideal starting point for the inflow of commerce," Angara.

News Latest News Feed