SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to prepare a skilled workforce for Pax Silica.
The planned manufacturing hub in New Clark City is expected to generate as many as 190,000 jobs at full capacity.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our country, but if we cannot supply them with skilled labor — because they have a huge requirement — 190,000 — we might lose that opportunity, as they will be looking at the quality of the workforce,” Gatchalian said during a recent Senate Committee on Finance hearing on Tesda’s proposed 2027 budget.
According to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Pax Silica is projected to generate between 130,000 and 190,000 jobs once fully operational, with Filipinos expected to fill about 90 percent of these positions.
The projected employment underscores the need for a workforce development strategy that can match industry requirements, particularly in advanced manufacturing, technology, and other specialized fields associated with the planned hub.
Tesda said that it was developing a training ecosystem that would begin at the senior high school level and extend to technicians, technologists, engineers, and other skilled professionals.
Included in the plan is the construction of a regional innovation training center for Region 3 in Clark.
Gatchalian’s call highlights a key challenge in translating large-scale investment plans into employment opportunities for Filipinos.
The proposed hub is part of the Philippines’ participation in the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which seeks to strengthen supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals. The government has said the project could attract between $40 billion and $70 billion in investments once fully developed.
The BCDA has said negotiations for project contracts were expected in 2026, with planning in 2027 and construction targeted to begin in early 2028. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
