In a statement, APECO President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV said discussions with IDOM director for logistics and operations Jaume Mas Vilella focused on developing a food and cold chain logistics hub and enhancing port infrastructure in Casiguran, Aurora.
“IDOM’s expertise in large-scale infrastructure will help strengthen the ecozone’s logistics and agri-industrial capabilities,” Taway said. “It complements Casiguran’s agricultural and fisheries-based economy, giving farmers and fisherfolk better access to markets.”
Food and logistics hub inspired by Barcelona
APECO is proposing with IDOM the conduct of a feasibility study for a five- to 10-hectare food and logistics hub inspired by Barcelona’s Mercabarna—a 100-hectare wholesale and logistics complex managed by the city government.
The proposed project aims to encourage agricultural production, attract value-adding industries, and improve the local food supply chain in support of APECO’s food security agenda.
Taway added that IDOM expressed interest in helping design APECO’s port facilities and cold chain logistics system, while also facilitating access to potential investors and financiers such as the Asian Development Bank.
“IDOM’s proposal aligns with our goal to make Casiguran the fishing capital of the Pacific,” he noted. “It will boost agricultural output and promote value-adding activities, driving food security, investment, and job creation.”
Fira Barcelona for convention center development
Apart from IDOM, APECO met with Fira Barcelona International CEO Ricard Zapatero to explore collaboration on establishing a world-class convention center within the ecozone.
Fira, majority-owned by the Catalonia regional and Barcelona city governments, is one of Europe’s leading event organizers and venue managers.
Fira Barcelona expressed willingness to assist in a feasibility study for the convention center and recommended integrating surrounding commercial and smart-city developments to ensure sustainability.
The initiative supports APECO’s broader mandate to drive economic growth across Aurora’s Dinalungan-Casiguran-Dilasag (DiCaDi) corridor and the wider Central Luzon region through tourism, particularly by developing meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) facilities.
Working group formation
APECO will form a working group to draft memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and finalize the list of collaborative projects with IDOM and Fira Barcelona.
During its mission, APECO also engaged with 11 other Spanish companies, including Amper Group, Geomystra, EM&E, Rafael de Hoz Architects, L35 Architects, GlobalTec, ACCIO, Port de Barcelona, and Mercabarna, as it continues to attract global investors to Aurora’s rising economic hub. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
