By Benjamin Cuaresma
TAGUIG CITY, Philippines — A protest against the proposed Pax Silica development in New Clark City, Tarlac broke out outside the Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio Global City on Thursday, as government officials and international investors gathered for the inaugural Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum.
Rallyists called for the government to reject the proposed Pax Silica project, particularly the planned high-tech development in New Clark City. Local media reported that protesters and police personnel figured in a confrontation outside the hotel, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was scheduled to attend an activity connected with the forum.
The protest came as the United States, the Philippines and Japan opened the September 10–11 investment forum, which is expected to bring together around 600 international investors, industry leaders, project developers and government officials.
The forum is focused on investment opportunities across the Luzon Economic Corridor, including advanced manufacturing, digital connectivity, energy, transportation and logistics.
Pax Silica becomes flashpoint
The demonstration highlights mounting opposition to the government’s participation in Pax Silica, a US-led initiative aimed at strengthening supply chains for critical technologies and positioning participating countries in the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries.
The proposed Philippine project involves about 1,620 hectares in New Clark City and is being promoted as an advanced technology and manufacturing hub.
Supporters of the initiative say it could attract major investments and help move the Philippines higher in the global technology supply chain.
But critics have raised concerns about its potential impact on agricultural land, water resources, Indigenous communities and the environment.
Farmers and Aeta community members in Capas, Tarlac have previously opposed the proposed development, saying it could affect their homes, livelihoods and ancestral lands.
A petition against Pax Silica reportedly gathered nearly 400,000 verified signatures as of August, according to a report by The Philippine Star.
Government stands by project
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority has rejected what it described as misconceptions surrounding the proposed project.
The agency said the planned Pax Silica Innovation Ecosystem would cover only a portion of the larger Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone and would be situated within designated buildable areas under the New Clark City master development plan.
Officials have also said the project would remain subject to Philippine laws and regulatory requirements.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has meanwhile continued to defend the country’s participation in Pax Silica.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Wednesday that the initiative could help the Philippines move higher in the global technology value chain, particularly in semiconductor packaging, critical mineral processing and emerging technologies.
She also described economic diplomacy as an important component of national security, while emphasizing the need for the Philippines to diversify its international economic relationships.
Senate to scrutinize Pax Silica
The controversy has also reached Congress.
The Senate is preparing to take up Pax Silica through its Committee of the Whole after Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri moved to bring the issue before the chamber amid concerns surrounding the initiative.
The proposed project has likewise come under scrutiny over land conversion. The Department of Agrarian Reform said earlier this month that it had not received any application for land conversion related to the proposed Pax Silica hub.
The government has maintained that the project is still subject to the country’s legal and regulatory framework.
Protest shadows investment push
The confrontation outside the Grand Hyatt came at a significant moment for the government’s investment agenda.
The Luzon Economic Corridor links Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas and is being promoted by the Philippines, the United States and Japan as a major platform for infrastructure development, supply-chain connectivity and private-sector investment.
For the administration, the investment forum represents an opportunity to secure new commercial partnerships and attract capital into strategic industries.
For protesters, however, the gathering provided a highly visible venue to challenge what they regard as the social, environmental and sovereignty implications of Pax Silica.
With the Senate preparing to examine the initiative and opposition groups continuing to mobilize, Thursday’s demonstration underscored how the government’s push for high-tech investment is increasingly being matched by demands for greater scrutiny of the project’s impact on communities and national interests.
