UST student council calls for protests vs Pax Silica ahead of Trump’s ASEAN visit

“Projections are not promises and promises are not guarantees,” it declared.

Trump’s ASEAN visit

Trump is scheduled to attend the ASEAN-US Special Summit in Pasay City on November 17.

His visit comes amid opposition to Pax Silica, a US-led initiative aimed at strengthening supply chains for semiconductors, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing.

The Philippines joined the initiative in April 2026. However, the US Embassy has clarified that no major Pax Silica announcement is planned during the summit.

Billions in investments, but at what cost?

The controversy centers on a proposed 1,620-hectare industrial and technology hub in New Clark City, Tarlac, promoted as a potential source of billions in investments and thousands of jobs.

But Aeta communities and farmers in Capas have raised concerns about possible displacement, loss of ancestral lands, and environmental damage.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority maintains that the development is outside ancestral domains and has promised safeguards for affected communities.

The UST-CSC remains unconvinced.

“It is not enough to ask what development Pax Silica can offer; we must also ask who stands to benefit from it, and more importantly, who will bear its costs,” the council said.

Call for national protests

The council urged Thomasians to join the November 13 National Day of Action and November 17 National Protest.

“We cannot celebrate foreign partnerships and economic opportunities while leaving the legitimate concerns and demands of our own people unheard and unresolved,” it stressed.

Ending its statement with #TrumpOut, the council challenged the government to ensure that foreign investments protect Filipino rights, livelihoods, and national sovereignty rather than undermine them.