MANILA, Philippines—The United States Department maintained that the Pax Silica initiative, a 4,000-acre semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) hub set to be built in New Clark City, would operate “within legal requirements.”
In a virtual press briefing, Ambassador Heather Variava, senior advisor in the Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs of the US State Department told The Manila Times that American investments in the country would prioritize high legal standards and tangible public benefit rather than community disruption.
“We work within the parameters of our legal structures, so any agreements that we come to meet the legal requirements of both—in this case, both the United States and the Philippines,” said Variava Friday.
On Thursday, protesters opposing the proposed Pax Silica initiative staged a lightning rally in Taguig City during the Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum, arguing that the project will displace local communities in the area where the infrastructure is set to be built.
