MANILA — The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) and InfiniVAN Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen digital infrastructure in Aurora, positioning the ecozone as a viable hub for data centers.
This investment opportunity is also seen to increase the demand for energy requirements and build on APECO’s developing clean energy portfolio.
APECO President and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Gil G. Taway IV and InfiniVAN President Shigeki Nakahara led the signing ceremony Friday in Makati City, which was graced by Economic Affairs Minister Naobumi Yokota of the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines.
The MOU between APECO and InfiniVAN aims to explore the establishment of a terrestrial (overland) connection inside APECO in Casiguran, Aurora connecting the ecozone with the landed and soon-to-be landed international submarine cable capacities in Baler, Aurora, as well as subsea cable capacities in Claveria, Cagayan and elsewhere in emerging Northern Luzon submarine cable landing corridors.
InfiniVAN is the fully-licensed Philippine telco subsidiary of Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Japanese telco IPS, Inc. InfiniVAN, although with barely a decade of operating experience in the Philippine broadband industry, has emerged as a real powerhouse in providing robust and resilient connectivity to internet service providers (ISPs) of all sizes as well as to other incumbent telecom operators. Today, InfiniVAN boasts of the 3rd largest lit upstream capacity to the internet backbone from the Philippines, with 20+ Tbps distributed across 10 international submarine cable systems.
The digital infrastructure envisioned in this collaboration is expected to support growing global demand from hyperscalers for artificial intelligence (AI) computing capacities in interconnected datacenters locally and abroad and usher in a new wave of investments in Aurora in the digital services sector.
PCEO Taway IV expects that the establishment of backhaul facilities connecting APECO to international submarine cable corridors will have multiplier effects — attracting datacenters to locate in the Casiguran-based ecozone and provide an impetus to clean energy investments that will supply the huge power demand for datacenter operations on top other industries establishing inside the ecozone.
“The convergence of digital and energy infrastructure is expected to create employment opportunities for local communities. As we attract datacenters and energy investments, we also open up opportunities for the people of Aurora. While datacenters themselves are self-sustaining with smaller teams, it has a multiplier effect in the allied industries that provide support to these datacenter facilities. This means more jobs, more skills development, and more inclusive economic growth,” PCEO Taway said.
InfiniVAN, for its part, expressed commitment to support APECO’s vision of building a future-ready economic zone anchored on reliable and high-capacity connectivity. “Our wholehearted support to APECO’s vision is a continuation of the IPS Group’s declared mission of opening doors of opportunity that benefit society at large” says InfiniVAN Chairman, Mr. Koji Miyashita.
The MOU also allows both parties to explore other areas of cooperation and is a foundational step towards commercial arrangements and MOAs. The InfiniVAN fiber optic backhauls for APECO enhance the connectivity capabilities of the ecozone as a freeport that are being expanded under PCEO Taway’s management: seaports, airports, and digital infrastructure.
APECO is positioning itself as an emerging gateway to the Pacific, leveraging its strategic location and ongoing infrastructure developments to attract investments aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s agenda on national digital transformation, energy, and food security.
Meanwhile, the MOU signing ceremony gathered leaders from Aurora, including the Provincial Government of Aurora represented by Provincial Administrator Shierwin H. Taay on behalf of Governor Isidro P. Galban, Aurora Lone District Representative Rommel Rico T. Angara, Baler Mayor Rhett Ronan T. Angara, Casiguran Mayor Roynald S. Soriano, Dinalungan Mayor Arvee A. Vargas, Dingalan Mayor Aurora Guzman-Taay, Dilasag Mayor Romner A. Agustin, Dipaculao Danilo A. Tolentino, Maria Aurora Mayor Ariel S. Bitong, and San Luis Mayor Ariel A. De Jesus.
The Aurora LGUs also signed their Pledge of Support for the collaboration between APECO and InfiniVAN. (Manny D. Balbin)
