InfiniVAN Inc. president Shigeki Nakahara and Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority President and Chief Executive Officer lawyer Gil Taway IV (3rd and 4th from left) lead the signing of a memorandum of understanding in a hotel in Makati City on Friday (March 27, 2026). The partnership will position Aurora province as a data center hub to boost connectivity, attract investments, and create employment opportunities through expanded fiber optic networks and energy-linked infrastructure development. (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)
The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is looking to secure agreements with as many as three data center operators this year, riding a wave of interest from companies seeking reliable energy and advanced information technology infrastructure.
APECO President and Chief Executive Officer Gil Taway shared the outlook on Friday following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Filipino-Japanese internet service provider InfiniVAN Inc. in Makati City, saying the freeport has started drawing serious attention from potential locators after publicizing the telecom firm’s planned entry into the zone.
“We are currently in talks with some data centers. But I don’t know if they will operate as commercial or hyperscalers,” Taway said.
His remarks underscore APECO’s push to position Casiguran, Aurora as an emerging digital gateway, with the freeport hoping to attract not just conventional data center operators but possibly hyperscalers—large-scale facilities built to support massive computing demands for global technology and cloud companies.
The growing interest comes as InfiniVAN, a subsidiary of Japan-listed telecommunications company IPS Inc., prepares to develop critical digital infrastructure inside APECO. Under their agreement, the two parties plan to build a terrestrial or overland connection within the ecozone, linking it to existing and upcoming international submarine cable landing stations in Baler, Aurora, as well as subsea cable capacity in Claveria, Cagayan.
Officials said the project is expected to strengthen APECO’s ability to serve the fast-rising global demand for artificial intelligence computing, particularly as interconnected data centers become more essential to both local and international digital operations.
For Taway, the initiative goes beyond connectivity. He said the combination of digital and energy infrastructure could open the door to broader economic gains for Aurora, especially in terms of jobs, training, and support industries that grow alongside major technology investments.
“The convergence of digital and energy infrastructure is expected to create employment opportunities for local communities. As we attract data centers and energy investments, we also open up opportunities for the people of Aurora,” he said.
While data centers typically operate with lean workforces, Taway said their presence can still generate a wider economic ripple effect by creating demand for allied services and technical support industries.
“While data centers themselves are self-sustaining with smaller teams, it has a multiplier effect in the allied industries that provide support to these data center facilities. This means more jobs, more skills development, and more inclusive economic growth,” he added.
InfiniVAN, for its part, is making a substantial investment to help lay the groundwork. Group advisor Alejandro Aquino said the company is allotting around P4 million per kilometer for the installation of fiber optic cable that will connect APECO to its facility in Baler, spanning roughly 100 kilometers.
Aquino said that although running the cables through existing electrical utility lines would be cheaper, the company is opting for underground installation to ensure greater resilience in a province frequently hit by typhoons.
“Fiber optic is glass so when electric posts fell your internet connection will be cut. So, we prefer to do it underground,” Aquino said in a mix of Filipino and English.
With new digital links taking shape and investor interest starting to build, APECO is betting that Aurora can carve out a bigger role in the country’s fast-evolving data infrastructure landscape.