MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday urged the public, especially those who signed petitions against the proposed Pax Silica project, to be better informed as the Palace defended the initiative that has raised concerns on the environment, resource use and the possible displacement of indigenous peoples' communities.
A Palace official gave the statement when asked to comment on various petitions calling for the scrapping of the United States-led development that is envisioned to open several AI data center and manufacturing hubs on the Philippines’ largest island.
“Ang nakikita po natin sa ngayon, marami po sa socmed na puro negatibo ang naipapakita,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said, noting that the government has already designated buildable zones in the development area as early as 2019.
(What we see now is that many on social media only see the negative aspects.)
“Sa lahat ng mga pumirma diyan, we hope na noong pumirma kayo ay alam ninyo ang detalye patungkol dito. Hindi sila, muwang, hindi sila mang-mang sa kung ano Pax Silica,” she told Palace reporters.
(We hope that those who signed the petitions know the details of this. That they are not ignorant of what Pax Silica is.)
“Sana alam nila talaga kung ano ang nilalaman ng agreement na ito.”
(Hopefully, they know what is in the agreement.)
BCDA, LOCAL GOVERNMENT BACK PAX SILICA
The Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the local government of Capas, Tarlac have agreed to “continuously pursue joint activities” ahead of the signing of the Pax Silica agreement in November, Castro said.
Community in Tarlac fears displacement as Malacañang supports Pax Silica project
Officials of the BCDA met with the municipal government of Capas, led by Mayor Roseller Rodriguez, “to continue discussion on the vision for the proposed Pax Silica innovation ecosystem in New Clark City,” the Palace official said.
“BCDA outlined how the proposed hub can attract advance industries and high-value investment to New Clark city while creating quality jobs and new opportunities for local business,” she said, adding that plans for “modern agriculture projects and livelihood initiatives” were also laid out in the meeting.
“BCDA and the Capas LGU will continue working closely in conducting community consultations, and promoting a balance and responsible approach to the project’s development ensuring that its benefits translate into lasting opportunities for Capasteños,” she also said.
Pax Silica is part of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), which the Philippines, the United States, and Japan have agreed to jointly develop.
Analysts have described the project as an attempt to rival China’s tech hubs in the Asia-Pacific region, while the US State Department previously described the development as a means "to build a secure, resilient, innovation-driven technology ecosystem" and "reduce coercive dependencies."
Lawmakers raise concerns over water, electricity consumption of Pax Silica project
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