The United States and the Philippines are set to build a 4,000-acre industrial hub after Manila became the latest government to sign up to a Washington-led initiative to secure semiconductor supply chains needed for artificial intelligence, the U.S. State Department announced on April 17.
The move makes the Philippines the 13th country to join “Pax Silica,” an international program that aims to secure the full technology supply chain, including critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, computing, and data infrastructure.
The initiative is a key aspect of President Donald Trump’s economic strategy aimed at reducing the United States’ dependence on rival nations and strengthening cooperation among allied partners, with the State Department describing it as “a positive-sum partnership of nations who want to remain competitive and prosperous.”
Other signatories to Pax Silica include Australia, Finland, India, Israel, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK.
The new hub will be erected in New Clark City, the Philippines’ planned metropolis north of Manila, which is owned and developed by the government through the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
New Clark City sits within the Luzon Economic Corridor, a strategic hub that includes Manila and neighboring regions to the capital.
Hellbound and Down 