America’s AI ambitions threaten Indigenous lands in the Philippines
Indigenous Aeta communities are fighting to protect their lands from a sprawling tech hub that critics warn could strain wate and energy supplies.
On September 10, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addressed business representatives at the Luzon Economic Corridor investors' forum in Manila. Simultaneously, hundreds of demonstrators protested against the project, carrying signs that read "No to Pax Silica." Police intervention included shoving the crowd with riot shields and batons, resulting in injuries to both protesters and police personnel.
Pax Silica is a U.S.-led global pact to build an AI and semiconductor supply chain not reliant on China. This initiative includes the Luzon Economic Corridor, an economic plan focusing on the Philippines' biggest island. Washington and Manila announced plans to build a 4,000-acre high-tech manufacturing hub in Central Luzon in April.
Both U.S. and Philippine officials emphasize the project's potential benefits for the Philippine economy and the nation's standing as a "global player" in emerging technologies. However, critics argue that the project represents an international land and resource grab, driven by U.S. AI ambitions. The hub will be built within New Clark City, a "smart" city within the 79,000-acre Clark area, a former U.S. military complex.
The development authority claims the facility will primarily be solar-powered, with an estimated energy consumption of 3 gigawatts. Indigenous communities, particularly the Aetas, claim ancestral rights to the land where the project is located and express concern over the potential loss of their territories and the environmental impact of the project.
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