Pax Silica probe sought in Senate

A resolution seeking an investigation into concerns over the creation of the Pax Silica Industrial Hub has been filed at the Senate.

Senate Resolution No. 563, filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros, seeks to find out the truth about reports and warnings by advocacy groups on supposed "looming displacement and disruption to the livelihood of people living within and outside the project area."

“There is a need to thoroughly assess the community, regional and national economic impact of the Pax Silica Initiative and all affiliated projects, and verify if the initiative will truly serve the economic interests of Filipinos—both at the macro and grassroots levels,” Hontiveros said.

Pax Silica is a United States-led initiative that promises to attract large-scale investments, generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and make the Philippines a key regional hub for advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.

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

Hontiveros, however, raised concerns about the possible relocation of Aeta and farming communities in and around the proposed 4,000-acre Pax Silica site in the Luzon Economic Corridor.

While the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has heavily pushed for the Pax Silica project, Hontiveros said that the government must fully assess how the project will impact local communities.

“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,” the resolution read.

“We cannot evaluate an investment based on its headline value alone. The Philippines needs capital with purpose—investment that creates decent jobs, strengthens local industries, protects communities and the environment, and safeguards our digital security and national sovereignty,” it added. —VAL, GMA News