(11 August 2025, Parañaque City) — Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) President and CEO Atty. Gil G. Taway IV said the government-owned and controlled corporation is eyeing a joint management agreement (JMA) with indigenous peoples (IPs) in its jurisdiction.
In a radio interview with DZBB on Sunday, PCEO Taway said this initiative will be patterned after the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) partnership concept with the Aeta community, which was itself based on the earlier JMA between the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the Aetas.
He said the agreement will focus on the 12,242-hectare Parcel 2 of the ecozone that hosts six indigenous settlements. APECO aims Parcel 2 to become a hub for jobs, eco-tourism, and conservation efforts.
The JMA will allow shared decision-making on economic activities that protect cultural traditions and the environment.
“Gusto nating isali ang ating mga mahal na katutubo sa dialogue at management, para ang mga programa natin ay nakabatay sa kanilang pangangailangan at pananaw. Hindi natin gustong may maiiwan sa pag-unlad,” PCEO Taway said.
APECO is working closely with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to secure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) as part of its social preparation efforts for defining the boundaries of Parcel 2.
Under APECO’s new management led by PCEO Taway, the investment promotion agency has prioritized consultation with the IPs by holding quarterly meetings with chieftains.
The agency has also supported the IP communities in securing their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), a legal document of their ownership and rights over traditional lands and ancestral domains, some of which were pending since 2007. The titles were approved by NCIP in December 2024.
Since the new management took over in October 2023, employed IPs as Bantay Gubat or forest rangers nearly tripled from 22 to 61.
Among APECO’s initiatives to empower IPs include establishing an IP Desk and Lounge in its headquarters in Casiguran, livelihood trainings, and free use of venues in APECO for IP events, among others.
