Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pitched the Philippines as a destination for digital infrastructure, semiconductor, and advanced manufacturing investments as the contentious US-led Pax Silica initiative emerged as a central component of the Luzon Economic Corridor.
The Board of Investments (BOI) is positioning Mindanao as a potential hub for AI-enabled industries, semiconductor design, mineral processing, and other higher-value activities under the government's 2026 Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP).
The Philippines should demand firm commitments on technology transfer, skills development, and local value creation before supporting the proposed Pax Silica initiative, experts said during a recent University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) Law School lecture.
Key details of the proposed Pax Silica industrial hub in New Clark City remain unsettled, with government officials telling a Senate hearing that foreign investors have yet to submit a development plan and consultations with affected communities have not been completed.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo has sought a Senate investigation into the proposed Pax Silica industrial hub in New Clark City, calling for an assessment of its economic, environmental, social, technological, and national security implications.
The planned Pax Silica development in New Clark City will focus primarily on semiconductor and other industrial activities rather than hyperscale data centers, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said, clarifying reports that the project could become a major energy-intensive data center hub.
The Philippines should first establish the actual demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure before embarking on an aggressive data center buildout, according to the head of the Analytics and AI Association of the Philippines (AAP).
Singapore-based Universal Success Enterprises Limited (USEL) is exploring investments in Philippine data centers and logistics parks as the government promotes the country as a regional digital infrastructure hub amid questions surrounding its proposed Pax Silica initiative.
Science Communicators Philippines (SciCommPH) has called for an independent assessment of the proposed Pax Silica industrial hub, saying the government should disclose the project’s terms and potential environmental and social impact before making binding commitments.
Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has lifted the moratorium on new information technology parks and centers in Metro Manila, opening another channel for technology investments as his administration advances the proposed Pax Silica industrial hub in New Clark City.
