MALACAÑANG on Thursday said the Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) is doing a ground assessment for the proposed Pax Silica, ensuring that the government is committed to consulting all stakeholders.
The statement comes after Capas Mayor Butch Rodriguez claimed that the local government was not consulted on the proposed project.
In an interview, Rodriguez said that, as the closest affected community, Capas deserves a more significant role in the project’s planning and implementation.
“Although the area is under the administration of BCDA, still it’s in Capas, and we are the closest community that will be affected. The plan is not presented to us,” he said.
It was also reported that the area — which covers over 1,600 hectares — will affect the first reported Indigenous people’s (IP) community in the town, contradicting BCDA President Joshua Bingcang’s earlier claim that the land is not an ancestral domain.
“The BCDA has conducted initial meetings with LGUs and government agencies, and these consultations are ongoing,” said Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro.
Castro reiterated that the government is committed to ensuring that all stakeholders are heard and that the project will be implemented responsibly.
She also urged Bingcang to engage directly with Rodriguez to resolve the concerns.
The framework deal between the Philippines and the US for the Pax Silica artificial intelligence hub is expected to be finalized by November.
Asked if there is a possibility that the project will not push through, Castro said, “There is a chance that other provisions will change.”
Critics on social media continue to call on the government to cancel the project, citing the large amount of water needed to operate the AI hub, along with the displacement of IP communities.
The BCDA has debunked these claims.
