Philippines’ Pax Silica AI hub plan slammed for mineral ‘plunder’

On a 1,620-hectare (4,000 acres) site north of Manila, a hi-tech hub is pitched by Philippine and US officials as a global gateway to AI, semiconductors and critical minerals. For critics, however, the proposed development – part of the US-backed global Pax Silica project – is concrete proof of another infrastructure push over contested land at the expense of communities, threatening their livelihood and scarce water supply. The project is a further example of ambitious investment pitches moving