Aurora ecozone officials bullish on investments

BALER, Aurora – Officials of the newly created Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority are bullish over the prospects of business in northeastern Luzon with the operationalization of the Aurora Ecozone which is expected to generate investments and jobs for this province, considered one of the 200 poorest provinces.

Newly appointed ASEZA Chairman Joseph Delano-Bernardo, a former Philippine ambassador to Spain, said they are upbeat about the ecozone because Casiguran, the site of the ASEZA is an ideal place for such economic zones.

The ASEZA was created by virtue of RA 9490, an Act establishing the Aurora Special Economic Zone. It was signed into law by President Arroyo on June 29. The ecozone covers the entire area embracing Barangays Dibacong, Dibet and Esteves, all in Casiguran. 

Addressing reporters during a press conference at the Bahia de Baler Garden Resort here following an organizational meeting of the ASEZA Board of Directors Monday, Bernardo, who was designated ASEZA chairman by President Arroyo on June 16, said a total of 10,000 hectares in Casiguran will be developed for the ecozone with an initial 10 hectares to house the administration office, a school of the Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT), support systems and future locators.

Bernardo, however, allayed fears that the location of the ecozone may not be ideal because the province is considered typhoon-prone, saying there are in fact as many typhoons coming from the China Sea than the Pacific Ocean.

“More importantly, Casiguran is surrounded by the Ildefonso Peninsula covering 12,000 hectares which protect it from any typhoon. From the rear side, you have the Sierra Madre mountains which protect Casiguran so it would be a misconception to be thinking of that,” Bernardo said of the typhoons.

Sen. Edgardo Angara who was in the same press conference along with Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, House Deputy Majority Leader Juan Edgardo Angara and Casiguran Mayor Reynaldo Bitong, said they expect the first locator to be moving inside the Aurora Ecozone within two years when all facilities for intermodal transport – a sea port, an airport, and road networks - shall have been completed.

The P142-million Casiguran airport, which involves the construction of a 1.2-km. runway, will be finished in July 2009. The P63-million Casiguran Port Improvement Project, which involves construction of a 198-linear meter port with ro-ro ramp, will be completed in April 2009.

Angara said that the necessary road networks, such as the San Luis-Bazal and Bazal-Pantabangan Roads will resume construction with funding from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). He added that thousands of employment opportunities will be made available once the ecozone has been fully operationalized, citing that one shoe factory alone can employ as many as 1,800 persons.

Owners of at least three shoe factories have signified interest to put up branches in the ecozone, according to Bernardo.

Bellaflor Angara-Castillo for her part, noted that the ecozone signals the dawn of a new era in the province and a better quality of life for the local folk. 

Angara-Castillo authored the original bill creating the Aurora special economic zone but this was vetoed in 1992 by then-President Fidel Ramos 10 days before he stepped down from power. The bill was refiled by her nephew, Rep. Angara.