Business leaders expressed strong optimism over the Philippines’ participation in Pax Silica, a regional initiative expected to transform the country’s role in global technology and artificial intelligence development.
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ferdinand “Perry” Ferrer said the program marks a turning point for the country’s semiconductor and electronics sector.
“Ngayon lang tayo magkakaroon ng pagkakataon… this is the only chance that the Philippines will be part, not the follower, but part of this disruptive technology which we are all experiencing right now, which is AI technology,” Ferrer said in a press conference.
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He added that the Philippines, along with Singapore, are the only ASEAN countries included in Pax Silica. “Imbis na benchwarmer, kumbaga sa basketball, tayo ay nasa first five. Tayo ang nasa gitna at sentro na pagde-develop ng bagong technology that will lead us in the next 20 years,” he said.
Ferrer projected that the initiative could generate around 150,000 direct jobs in engineering and technology, plus 700,000 to 750,000 indirect jobs, stressing that these would be “not minimum wage jobs” but high-value positions in development and innovation.
“Ang makikinabang dito ay mga Filipino. Ang makikinabang dito ay the next generation ng mga Filipino na tuturuan natin yan, i-skill up natin yan to be able to match kung anong kailangan dito sa resident AI technology,” he said.
Meanwhile, Roberto “Bobby” Alvarez Jr., president of the PH-Ease of Doing Business Foundation, Inc., said Pax Silica could help shift the country away from its dependence on raw material exports.
“Karamihan po ng ating export ay raw materials, at babalik po siya sa atin na finished product. Binenta natin ng piso, pagbalik sa atin ay 100 pesos. Bakal pinalabas natin, pagbalik ay kotse. ’Di ba pwedeng tayo ang gumawa ng kotse?” Alvarez said.
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He emphasized that building industries locally would create jobs and reduce the need for Filipinos to seek employment abroad. “Pag nagtayo ka ng industriya sa bansa mo, maganda yan. Ang nagiging problema yung execution… Ano ba yung terms and conditions ng pagpasok nila? Mas dapat tayo tumingin doon,” he added.
Alvarez noted that challenges such as power costs and environmental risks can be addressed with practical solutions. “It’s cheap to generate power. It’s cheap to create your own water. So lahat po ng mga problemang sinasabi diyan, ay may solusyon po diyan,” he said.
Both Ferrer and Alvarez underscored that Pax Silica represents a rare opportunity for the Philippines to move beyond low-value labor and raw material exports, positioning the country as a central player in the development of disruptive technologies.