Sen. Raffy Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate committee on environment, natural resources and climate change, has filed Senate Resolution No. 571, calling for a Senate inquiry into the proposed Pax Silica semiconductor and artificial intelligence hub in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac. Tulfo raised the resolution during a privilege speech delivered Tuesday, August 11.
Pax Silica is a 1,620-hectare high-tech industrial hub proposed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), which has said the project is expected to be fully developed over 30 years, with an initial phase targeted to begin in 2028. The project follows the Philippines’ entry in April 2026 into a US-led initiative on artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing.
In his resolution, Tulfo asked whether existing Philippine laws and regulations are adequate to oversee a project of this scale. He cited the case of Chuangxing Steel Incorporated in Magalang, Pampanga, where authorities confiscated an estimated ₱3 billion worth of radioactive and steel products, arrested four company officials, and found more than 300 employees working in hazardous conditions. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had flagged the facility for operating without valid air pollution control and wastewater discharge permits.
“Pax Silica is about 300 times bigger than Chuangxing as far as size goes. If we could not handle such a small company, paano pa itong malaking development?” Tulfo said during his speech.
The senator also raised concerns over water use, noting that AI facilities abroad reportedly consume large volumes of water for cooling, and pointed to existing water supply issues in parts of Tarlac and Pampanga raised in previous Senate hearings.
According to Tulfo, Pax Silica’s projected economic contributions include around ₱600 billion in initial investments, 130,000 to 290,000 direct jobs, hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs, and ₱68 billion to ₱75 billion in potential annual tax revenues.
The proposed hub has drawn opposition from farmers and Aeta communities in Capas, who have raised concerns over displacement and impact on ancestral lands and livelihoods. A petition against the project had gathered nearly 400,000 signatures as of August 6. Sapang Kawayan Aeta chieftain Petroniza Capriz-Muñoz said at a press briefing that indigenous residents depend on the land for their homes and livelihood.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo said he supports Pax Silica but called for government agencies overseeing electricity and water to provide clearer explanations before the project moves forward.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also backed the call for an inquiry, citing findings by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute of uranium-238, thorium-232, and thorium-228 in imported feedstock at Philippine Sanja Steel Corporation, a facility located inside a special economic zone. Hontiveros filed a separate measure, Senate Resolution No. 588, the same day, calling for a Senate inquiry into the domestic steel industry.
Senate Resolution No. 571 seeks to determine whether Pax Silica’s environmental and community impact, along with the country’s current regulatory safeguards, are sufficient before the project proceeds. The resolution has yet to be scheduled for committee hearings.
