Senator Risa Hontiveros called on Tuesday for a legislative inquiry into the planned Pax Silica Industrial Hub, raising concerns that the project could displace local communities and workers despite promises of economic growth and job creation.
Under Senate Resolution No. 563, Hontiveros urged lawmakers to assess whether the US-backed development within the Luzon Economic Corridor will deliver genuine benefits to Filipinos at both the national and grassroots levels.
The senator highlighted risks facing Aeta and farming communities located near the designated 4,000-acre project area.
“News reports and warnings by advocacy groups point to the looming displacement and disruption to the livelihood of people living within and outside the project area—with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority itself reportedly preparing relocation and employment opportunities for Aeta and farmer communities,” the resolution read.
The project was earlier touted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his fifth State of the Nation Address, where he asserted that it would bring quality jobs, boost industrial competitiveness, and revitalize the national economy.
While the Bases Conversion and Development Authority estimates Pax Silica could generate 190,000 direct and 800,000 indirect jobs, Hontiveros questioned the long-term security of those positions in light of rapid developments in artificial intelligence.
“Unemployment and underemployment persist as structural conditions of the Philippine labor market, and the prospect is real that Filipino workers will be engaged to develop and train the very artificial intelligence systems that may in time displace them from their occupations,” Hontiveros said.
“We cannot evaluate an investment based on its headline value alone,” she added.