Palawan can host the proposed industrial hub under the United States-led Pax Silica initiative if Luzon rejects the project, provided its proponents establish their own power and water systems, Palawan 2nd District Rep. Jose Alvarez said.
Alvarez said the province has enough land to accommodate a development larger than the 1,620-hectare hub planned in New Clark City. He added that investors could purchase the land instead of receiving it from the government for free.
“Kung ayaw nilang ilagay ang Pax Silica doon, dito ilagay. Basta power at saka tubig, sila ang maglagay, walang problema,” Alvarez said during an interview Friday.
“[Yong] 900,000 jobs gusto ko ’yun, lahat kayo, ’yung mga kamag-anak ninyo may trabaho,” he added.
“Sabihin ninyo na kung maaari ilipat na lang yong Pax Silica dito kung ayaw nila doon sa Luzon. Ang dami nating lupa, maski 10,000 ektarya pa meron. Bilhin man nila ’yan, hindi man ’yan bigay,” he further said.
He likened the project to the $250 million hydrometallurgical processing plant that was put up by Coral Bay Nickel Corporation with its own power plant and water source.
“Ang question noon, dala niyo ba ang tubig? Dala niyo ba ang power? The same question with Pax Silica. Kung kailangan nila ng power, maglagay sila ng power plant. Kung kailangan nila ng tubig, mag-produce sila ng sarili nilang tubig,” he said.
Water production, he stated, is no longer hard to produce because it can be desalinated using solar power. The Middle East, he cited, has no rivers but processes seawater through desalination plants to meet much of its water demand.
The Philippines joined Pax Silica in April as part of an international effort to build secure supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence and other technologies.
The country and the U.S. governments subsequently announced plans for a 4,000-acre, or about 1,620-hectare, AI-native industrial acceleration hub in New Clark City within the Luzon Economic Corridor.
Pax Silica also involves Argentina, Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the European Union also joining as a separate signatory.
The proposed hub is expected to accommodate facilities for critical-minerals processing, semiconductor production, artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.
The Palawan lawmaker said he supports the initiative because of the jobs and investment it could generate.
The 900,000 jobs he cited falls within the combined employment projections released by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
The BCDA estimates that the project could generate between 130,000 and 190,000 direct jobs, as well as 500,000 to 800,000 indirect and induced jobs.
“Because of that, I fully support Pax Silica. Biruin mo, 900,000 jobs? Wala ngang 900,000 jobs ang Palawan. So, Pax Silica is a welcome investment in Northern Luzon,” he said.
This places the total potential employment at between 630,000 and 990,000 jobs once the hub is fully developed.
Alvarez said that if the project were transferred to Palawan, its proponents would have to produce the electricity and water required by the development instead of depending on the province’s existing supply.
“Kung mag-invest ka ng ganoon kalaki, you have to provide for yourself,” he said.
He pointed out that an investment of that size should include dedicated power facilities and a separate water source.
Alvarez cited desalination powered by solar energy as one possible way to produce water.
“Kung wala iyong power, wala iyong water doon, bakit sila maglalagay?” he said.
He also said the lack of existing infrastructure should not prevent Palawan from being considered as an alternative site.
A pier and an airport could be constructed if required by the development, he added.
The proposal would still have to address land ownership, infrastructure costs, electricity and water demand, environmental requirements and possible effects on communities.
He said that any site in Palawan would also have to comply with the province’s Strategic Environmental Plan, environmental assessment requirements and other Philippine laws.
