Imee seeks Senate probe into Pax Silica initiative

Senator Imee Marcos on Monday filed a resolution seeking an investigation, in aid of legislation, into the water and electricity resource demands and the long-term environmental impacts of the planned Pax Silica industrial hub.

Under proposed Resolution No. 547, Marcos said while the initiative seeks economic growth, foreign direct investment, and job creation for Filipinos, “serious concerns persist regarding its heavy footprint on local land use, rural agricultural livelihoods, ecological stability and environmental stability.”

“The biggest concern raised by environmental and scientific organizations is not the technology itself, but the enormous amount of water and electricity needed to keep AI systems and large-scale data centers running because unlike conventional office buildings, AI data centers ans servers inevitable generate intense heat and must be continuously cooled to prevent equipment failure which require vast quantities of clean water, while the servers themselves require a stable and uninterrupted electricity supply 24 hours a day,” the resolution read.

“Aside from concerns relating to water supply, environmental groups have likewise raised questions regarding the substantial electricity requirements of the proposed hub, emphasizing that the source of such power is equally critical, as increased reliance on fossil fuels to meet the project’s energy demands could result in higher greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbate environmental and climate-related risks,” it added.

EXPLAINER: What is Pax Silica and why are people worried?

Marcos said that agriculture and food security may also be affected as increased demand for water and other resources of the Pax Silica hub could reduce farmers’ access to irrigation, increase utility costs for households, and add pressures on the lands and livelihoods of local and indigenous communities.

She thus underscored the need to determine whether there has been inter-agency alignment and transparency on the proposed initiative, specifically concerning the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture (DA), and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

Malacañang on Thursday called on the public to direct any issues about the planned development of Pax Silica industrial tech hub to concerned government agencies, saying that provisions of the United States-led initiative may still be adjusted accordingly.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that the Pax Silica---—an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-focused industrial complex spanning 1,600 hectares in New Clark City in Tarlac—will benefit Filipinos by providing quality jobs. —RF, GMA News