EXCLUSIVE: Pax Silica shows ‘at least PH is being considered for investment’ — economist

Global investor interest is good, but project needs better planning.

Despite widespread concerns surrounding Pax Silica, an economist said the project may be a net positive for the country simply through its inclusion in the global investment initiative.

SM Investments Corp. economist Robert Dan Roces said the project ultimately helps position the country as a rising investment hub and could create ripe employment opportunities.

“We have to recognize the fact that at least they’re considering our country. Other countries would want to get investors as big as the consortium. So that’s very good in terms of the employment side, in terms of the economy as a whole,” Roces told radar Business on the sidelines of the conglomerate’s 1H media briefing on August 12.

He added that the concerns surrounding the proposal are legitimate, with public backlash potentially affecting its execution.

“Wala pa naman plan, it’s just a proposal… What we want to see is a better planning of the [positive] impacts and negative impacts,” he said.

Neither Roces nor SMIC confirmed if the company has any plans relating to Pax Silica. SMIC said in March, however, that it planned to divest its 18% stake in data center company YCO Global Cloud Centers.

The Philippines signed the United States-led Pax Silica Declaration in April 2026, amid a proposal to construct a 1,620-hectare artificial intelligence and manufacturing hub in New Clark City, Tarlac.

While many look forward to the development as an expansion of the country’s manufacturing and technological capacities, others worry about the strain it may cause on natural resources and indigenous communities.

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