UNDERSECRETARY Gil Taway IV has been reappointed president and chief executive officer of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Apeco) for a second three-year term, the agency announced Thursday.
Taway said his priorities include turning investor interest into projects that create jobs in Aurora and developing the economic zone into a strategic gateway along the country’s eastern seaboard, focusing on infrastructure, defense and tourism.
He took his oath Monday at the Apeco corporate campus in Casiguran, witnessed by local officials and indigenous community leaders.
Apeco said Taway’s first term generated a prospective investment pipeline of about P30 billion — involving 15 potential locators in renewable energy, defense, cold storage and warehousing, tourism, health, skills training and digital connectivity.
Since 2024, the agency has engaged more than 40 global companies to explore investment opportunities in its priority sectors.
Taway also led efforts to address nearly P800 million in previously abandoned infrastructure projects, complete 30 capital assets, and secure an additional 20.9 hectares of land, including property for airport development, Apeco said.
The agency sought to rebuild investor and community trust by shifting its focus from Philippine offshore gaming operations to industrial and community-based development.
It also credited fiscal discipline, competitive bidding and institutional reforms with improving transparency and generating savings.
It strengthened ties with indigenous communities in Dinalungan, Casiguran and Dilasag, supporting efforts to secure certificates of ancestral domain title through the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
Apeco also worked with government agencies to streamline investment promotion, project development and regulatory compliance, including the Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investments, Department of National Defense and Public-Private Partnership Center.
“We want the government to act as an entrepreneurial pioneer, using public resources to help unlock investments and deliver inclusive growth in areas that have long been underserved,” Taway said.
