MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has given assurances that the upcoming Pax Silica industrial hub will protect local livelihoods and sacred ancestral burial grounds in Tarlac.
Speaking at a press conference in Malacañang on Tuesday, October 13, President Marcos addressed community apprehensions regarding the proposed US-led initiative, vowing that the administration will safeguard cultural heritage and local welfare from any displacement risks.
“No, no, of course, of course. No, no, no. We are very sensitive to that. That’s not something that people should worry about. We are very sensitive about such cultural concerns and those are very much part of the discussions,” Marcos stated when questioned about potential threats to burial sites.
“No, let me assure everyone that that’s not something that we are going to allow to be put at risk,” he added.
The 1,620-hectare Economic Security Zone, slated for New Clark City, is designed as a specialized hub for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), critical-mineral processing, and advanced manufacturing.
Beyond protecting cultural landscapes, the President dismissed fears of economic displacement, asserting that the project is engineered to generate a surge of new job opportunities.
“I cannot see how such a development will endanger local livelihood,” Marcos noted, emphasizing the country’s strategic push to anchor itself within the digital economy’s supply chain and emerging AI frameworks across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
”And this is part of what we have done in positioning the Philippines within the supply chain, the value chain of what is the emerging industry of the digital economy and, of course, the onset of AI,” he explained.
“But that was even before the whole idea of Pax Silica emerged. And so, it’s quite the opposite. It should have exactly the opposite effect on what you were asking about,” Marcos concluded.