New Clark City tagged as AI hub for Philippines' Pax Silica entry

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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' entry into a US-led technology supply chain initiative will help position New Clark City as a hub for artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, officials said Monday, April 20.

The move to join Pax Silica—a Washington-led coalition securing the AI ecosystem—is framed as a way for the Philippines to play a larger role in global supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors and emerging technologies.

"By joining Pax Silica, the Philippines is ensuring that our mineral resources and strategic location are not simply supporting global industries from the margins, but are actively harnessed to build the industries of the future," Finance Secretary Frederick Go said in a statement.

The Philippines formally joined the Pax Silica Declaration on April 16, announcing an allocation of a 4,000-acre industrial zone.

The upcoming hub in New Clark City, Tarlac is seen to become the seat of the initiative's Coordinaton Office, where technology firms, research institutions and government agencies can work on AI and related investments.

The site is within the Luzon Economic Corridor and is being designated as a "Golden Node," or an AI-native investment acceleration hub under the Pax Silica framework. The corridor is a trilateral effort involving the Philippines, U.S. and Japan.

U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said the project is meant to build the next generation of manufacturing ecosystems.

"The Golden Node is not about recreating the factories of the last century. It is about building the manufacturing ecosystems of the next century, AI-native from day one, anchored in the rule of law, and integrated into a network of trusted nations that will define global supply chain resilience for decades to come," Helberg said in the same statement.

Local plans

Joshua Bingcang, CEO of state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority, said the plan could place New Clark City in a larger global technology network while creating opportunities for Filipino workers and enterprises.

New Clark City itself is a 9,450-hectare span of commercial land in Capas, Tarlac. It was designed to become the Philippines' first smart, resilient and green city.

The BCDA, which identified the property for Pax Silica, would also extend a two-year grace period on lease payments. This would serve as an in-kind contribution for economic initiatives between the two countries, it said.

The annual lease rate from the third year onward will be determined under a separate agreement, it added.

Positioning

The project adds an economic and technology layer to deepening ties between Manila and Washington under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The alliance has already expanded under defense, infrastructure and regional security arrangements, with the largest-ever Balikatan joint exercises launched Monday.

Last week, the Philippines became the 13th country to join Pax Silica, alongside partners including Australia, Finland, India, Qatar, South Korea and Singapore.

The hub, however, is still largely conceptual, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. Participating companies and specific projects are yet to be named.

The initiative is intended to become a commercial platform for allied manufacturing as the United States seeks to reduce reliance on rival economies for key technology supply chains.

While the move promotes investments into new technologies, it is positioned as a counterbalance to China, a dominant supplier of critical minerals and technology components.