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US-backed Pax Silica AI hub pitched in Philippines amid sovereignty fears
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the proposed AI hub would create quality jobs and revive the economy, even as critics warn it could weaken sovereignty and harm communities and the environment.
South China Morning Post Economy reports that US economic affairs policy official Jacob Helberg, the US undersecretary of state for economic affairs, backed the Philippines under the Pax Silica Initiative, a US-backed artificial intelligence hub proposal.
In a State of the Nation address in Manila on Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr defended the plan, saying it would create quality jobs and reinvigorate the economy.
The project is described as a flagship effort for a US-led coalition aimed at building China-free AI supply chains covering critical minerals, semiconductors, and logistics, including an advanced manufacturing and logistics center tied to the global AI and technology value chain.
SCMP reports that critics warn the hub could erode Philippine sovereignty, displace farming communities, and lead to environmental harm.