SEN. Imee Marcos on Sunday pushed for a Senate investigation into the Pax Silica agreement amid complaints that some farmers are allegedly being ordered to stop planting and are facing intimidation.
She issued the statement following reports that the identification of areas to be affected by the controversial Pax Silica Project in Capas, Tarlac, has already begun.
“We cannot prioritize stripping farmers of their livelihoods simply to expedite land conversion,” Marcos said in a statement.
“Those who feed the nation should not lose their land without being given a proper explanation and a chance to be heard,” she added.
Marcos emphasized that under Department of Agrarian Reform Administrative Order 1, Series of 2002, any land-use conversion must accord with the law.
She said that the government’s promise of billions of dollars in investment and jobs is not enough if the cost would be the livelihoods of the country’s farmers and Indigenous peoples.
“Before any investment proceeds, we must ensure that those who rely on the land for their survival are not prejudiced,” she said.
Marcos warned that the planned 1,619-hectare artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced manufacturing hub in New Clark City would require a massive supply of water and electricity for processing rare earth and critical minerals.
The senator called on the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to explain the project’s actual impact on residents before conducting any surveying or land acquisition.
Citing reports, she said that around 1,600 hectares will be affected, including farmland cultivated by 92 farmers and members of the Indigenous Aeta communities.
“If water is already scarce for farmers and there are weekly brownouts, where will the massive supply of water and electricity for Pax Silica come from? Consultation before construction,” Marcos said.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the planned Pax Silica Industrial Hub will strengthen the Philippines’ position in the global AI and technology value chain while creating quality jobs and boosting industrial competitiveness.
The president said the proposed hub is a product of the 23-member-strong and United States-led Pax Silica Initiative and is envisioned to build an ecosystem with AI at its core.
“It will bring quality jobs to our people, accelerate our industrial competitiveness, and revitalize our economy,” the president said.
“As a strategic component of the Luzon Economic Corridor, the hub will be an advanced manufacturing and logistics center in the global AI and technology value chain,” he added.
Pax Silica is a proposed high-tech manufacturing and innovation hub under the Luzon Economic Corridor that aims to position the Philippines as a key player in global supply chains for semiconductors, AI, and critical minerals.
The Philippines joined the Pax Silica coalition in April as its 13th member. Since then, the coalition has expanded to more than 30 participating countries.
The BCDA earlier said the Pax Silica initiative could attract between $40 billion and $70 billion in investments once fully developed, creating opportunities for Filipino engineers, researchers, computer science graduates, and other highly skilled professionals to build their careers in the country.
The proposed Pax Silica development at New Clark City is expected to create up to 190,000 high-quality jobs for Filipinos.
