President Marcos assures Pax Silica project will protect cultural heritage, environment

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday assured the public that the Philippines’ participation in the Pax Silica initiative would not put communities and indigenous cultural heritage at risk.

Marcos gave the assurance when asked about concerns raised by civil society groups and local officials over the potential impact of developments linked to the initiative, particularly the possible loss of burial sites considered important to Indigenous Peoples in the concerned area in Tarlac.

“We are very sensitive to that. That's not something that people should worry about. We are very sensitive about such cultural concerns and those are very much part of the discussions,” Marcos said in a media interview.

“Let me assure everyone that that's not something that we are going to allow to be put at risk,” he added.

The President’s remarks came after the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) submitted a framework for the initiative to his office, as the government prepares to advance the Philippines’ participation in Pax Silica.

Marcos also defended the initiative against concerns that it could undermine local livelihoods, saying it is projected to generate tens of thousands of jobs and help position the Philippines in the global supply chain for the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI).

“I cannot see how such a development will endanger local livelihood… This is projected to create tens of thousands of jobs,” he said.

He cited the country’s work on an ASEAN roadmap for AI during its chairship of the regional bloc, saying efforts to prepare the Philippines for emerging technology industries began even before Pax Silica was introduced.

Pax Silica is a United States-led initiative focused on cooperation in the technology supply chain, including areas related to AI and the broader digital economy.