OFFICE of Civil Defense-Davao (OCD-Davao) Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang acknowledged the risks surrounding the Philippines’ participation in the United States-led Pax Silica initiative, but said the proposed high-technology industrial hub could create higher-paying jobs and help accelerate the country’s long-standing goal of industrialization.
Dayanghirang said the potential benefits of the initiative would depend on how the government manages its risks, particularly concerns involving water supply, electricity, and disaster resilience.
“Sa bottom line, palagay ko simply sa lahat naman ng bagay na ginagawa natin, mayroon naman talagang risk, mayroon naman talagang danger, but managing the risk and managing the danger is the key towards the success ng Pax Silica na pinirmahan na ng Pilipinas,” Dayanghirang said in an interview with a government-owned radio station earlier this week.
Speaking from his understanding of the initiative, the OCD-Davao chief said Pax Silica could provide Filipinos with more opportunities in advanced manufacturing and other technology-related industries, allowing the country to move beyond its dependence on traditional sources of employment.
He clarified that he was not speaking as a technical expert on the initiative but as an ordinary Filipino trying to understand its potential implications.
“Sa palagay ko, sa aking ordinaryong pag-iisip, hindi naman ako eksperto, ito na 'yung dream, ito na 'yung ininais nating mangyari na ma-industrialize ang Philippines through the tawag na Pax Silica program,” he said.
The Philippines joined Pax Silica in April 2026. The US-led initiative seeks to strengthen supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals, and other technologies considered essential to the global digital economy.
Dayanghirang explained that the name combines “Pax,” which means peace, and “silica,” which he associated with silicon, a material essential to semiconductor manufacturing.
“Ang ibig sabihin ng Pax is peace, kalinaw o peace. Ang Silica is the element, yung silicon na doon 'yan ang ito pagkakaintindi ko ha, hindi naman ako eksperto pero isip ordinaryong Pilipino 'yun ang naintindihan ko,” he said.
He pointed to semiconductors as essential components of modern technology, including social media platforms, factory equipment, communications systems, aircraft, ships, and spacecraft.
“Walang tatakbo ng mga tawag natin mga social media platforms o mga teknolohiya gamit sa mga factories, even sa mga arms and other communication, even sa mga spaceship, sa mga eroplano, sa mga barko, walang tatakbo na powered by the electricity na hindi gumagamit ng semiconductor,” he said.
The Philippine government is planning a 1,620-hectare advanced manufacturing and technology hub in New Clark City, Tarlac, as part of the initiative. The proposed development is intended to attract investments and position the country higher in global supply chains for AI, semiconductors and other advanced technologies.
Higher-paying jobs, industrialization
Dayanghirang said the proposed development could create what he described as quality jobs, particularly for Filipinos who have the education and skills to work in technology-driven industries.
He contrasted these opportunities with seasonal agricultural employment, which he said may provide work only during particular periods.
“Number one diyan maka-create siya ng jobs, quality jobs. Hindi ordinaryong trabaho kagaya sa mga farms, sa mga coconut farms na every three months ka lang makapagtrabaho at ang suweldo mo ay agricultural wage. Ito industrial talaga na wage, ang tawag diyan quality jobs meaning high-paying jobs, sustainable siya tuloy-tuloy ang trabaho sapagkat ang industries are tuloy-tuloy,” he said.
He also envisioned workplaces that could offer better working conditions and more stable employment, drawing from his observations of Taiwan, where he had visited twice.
“Kagaya sa Taiwan, na dalawang beses na ako pumunta sa Taiwan, nakita ko 'yung mga city mga towns doon sa Taiwan halos wala kang makitang mga taong nakaistambay o naglalakad sa kalye na walang mga trabaho. Why? Nandoon sila lahat sa mga factories nagtatrabaho doon,” he said.
Dayanghirang said the country's industrialization had long been a national aspiration, with the hope that workers would have alternatives to agricultural employment and that economic growth would create more opportunities for Filipinos.
“Matagal na nating dream ito, this is our dream. So, since nung ako ay elementary high school naririnig na natin na sana magkakaroon ng maraming trabaho ang Pilipinas, sana mag-industrialize ang Pilipino, sana hindi na lang farming ang pinupuntahan ng mga Pilipino ng mga workers at sana lumago pa ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas at mga Pilipino,” he said.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has said the proposed Pax Silica development could generate more than 130,000 high-quality jobs when fully developed and attract between $40 billion and $70 billion in investments.
BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua Bingcang has described the project as an opportunity to retain skilled Filipino workers and attract professionals who might otherwise seek employment overseas.
“Ang layunin natin dahil alam natin napakadaming talentong magagaling dito sa ating bansa ay maging brain gain tayo ngayon imbes na brain drain,” Bingcang said during a Palace briefing in July.
However, the projected jobs and investments remain expected outcomes. The number of jobs that will actually be created will depend on the industries that establish operations, the skills required, and the project's implementation.
Calls for disaster resilience
Despite his support for the initiative's potential economic benefits, Dayanghirang said disaster resilience should be integrated into its development to address concerns about resource availability and the ability of industrial facilities to withstand disasters.
He specifically identified water and electricity as issues that must be considered as the project progresses.
“Ngayon lang, ito lang isip the regional director ng Office of Civil Defense, makikita ko rin na kung maari lang sa palagay ko kung pwede ang disaster resilience 'yung paningin natin para sa resilience na hindi tayo maabutan ng mga sabi nila na mga problema sa tubig, problema sa kuryente,” he said.
He proposed using a disaster risk reduction framework to guide the development and monitor risks across its different components.
“Maging resilient ang Pax Silica ang suggestion ko overarching strategic framework gamitin natin ang DRR (or) Disaster Resilient Strategic Framework as the overarching framework para babantayan lahat ng aspeto na hindi mangyari ang mga sinasabi ng iba,” he said.
His recommendation comes as the proposed development faces questions about its substantial water and electricity requirements.
In an August 2026 report, the Philippine Information Agency quoted BCDA officials as saying the project would explore surface-water harvesting, storage, treatment and recycling systems. BCDA also said dedicated power generation facilities and renewable energy options would be considered to meet the industrial hub's requirements.
However, these plans have not eliminated concerns from environmental advocates, farmers and Indigenous peoples' groups, who have questioned whether the area's water resources, agricultural lands and surrounding communities could be affected by the development.
The Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Agham) has challenged the government's presentation of the project's environmental implications, particularly its energy and water requirements. Farmers and Aeta community representatives in Capas, Tarlac, have also called for the project to be stopped over concerns involving livelihoods, land and ancestral-domain rights.
BCDA, for its part, has maintained that the proposed development is within designated buildable areas in New Clark City's master plan and that project components will have to comply with applicable environmental requirements. The agency has also disputed claims that the development would displace Indigenous communities.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. endorsed the proposed industrial hub in his fifth State of the Nation Address on July 27, describing it as a strategic component of the Luzon Economic Corridor that could bring quality jobs to Filipinos and strengthen the country's industrial competitiveness.
“As a strategic component of the Luzon Economic Corridor, the hub will be an advanced manufacturing and logistics center in the global AI and technology value chain,” Marcos said. DEF