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Manila (AsiaNews) – Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan and former president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), has expressed concerns about Pax Silica, the US-led project to reduce dependence on Chinese technology supply chains by establishing a technology hub in the Philippine, a goal the government intends to pursue.
In a message posted on social media yesterday, the cardinal states that the creation of the new facility dedicated to semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) in the Philippines raises questions and poses possible risks for people and the environment.
“The real issue is not whether the member nations are pursuing their own national interests. Every nation does. The United States, under President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda, has been quite explicit about strengthening American leadership in AI, semiconductors, and critical supply chains. China likewise pursues its own strategic interests. That is the reality of international politics,” the cardinal said.
“The question for the Philippines is different,” the prelate says. “Will Pax Silica help build Filipino scientific capability, technological innovation, and industrial resilience? Or will it primarily serve the strategic interests of others while Filipinos provide the land, natural resources, water, energy, tax incentives, and labor?” David asks.
According to the cardinal, projects of this type must be carefully evaluated, considering their long-term consequences for the country, its people, and the environment.
“These are legitimate questions – not because we oppose foreign investment, but because genuine partnership should strengthen the nation that hosts it,” David said.
Indeed, “Prudence therefore requires transparency, technology transfer, meaningful participation of Filipino scientists and industries, responsible stewardship of the environment, and a clear commitment to moving our country up the value chain rather than remaining merely a source of raw materials and cheap labor,” he notes.
As Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas stresses, “Technology must remain the servant of humanity, never its master.” Likewise, “in Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis reminds us that humanity cannot build its future on the logic of competing national interests alone. The return of the logic of ‘might makes right’ has repeatedly led humanity to conflict and war”.
For this reason, “The digital revolution must not become another arena where technological power is used for domination rather than cooperation”.
Against this backdrop, writes the cardinal, “The Catholic Church, as a communion of local Churches that transcends national borders, remains one of the few truly global institutions capable of offering a moral vision that rises above geopolitical rivalries. She does not ask nations to abandon their legitimate interests, but to place them at the service of the common good of the entire human family.
“The ultimate question, therefore, is not simply whether Pax Silica will make economies stronger or artificial intelligence more powerful.
“The real question is whether it will help build what Pope Leo calls a civilization of love rather than a culture of power – a future in which technological progress serves human dignity, social fraternity, care for our common home, and peace among nations.”
During his State of the Nation Address on 27 July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presented the Pax Silica Industrial Hub project to Congress. The facility, sponsored by the United States, will be built on a 1,620-hectare site in Tarlac, a mainly agricultural province, about 120 kilometres northwest of Manila.
The project aims to boost the supply chains for semiconductors, rare earths, and AI infrastructure, with facilities dedicated to chip packaging, the processing of minerals like nickel and copper, and the construction of data centres.
According to the government, the initiative could generate 180 billion pesos in annual revenue and create nearly 200,000 jobs.
Several civil society groups, however, have expressed concern. The AI and semiconductor plants will require huge amounts of electricity and water, which could increase utility costs, and cause shortages for local communities.
Human rights groups are also warning that converting vast swathes of farmland could displace farmers and Indigenous communities, while some scientists and activists believe the project risks further tying the Philippines to international supply chains and strategic rivalries, rather than fostering domestic industrial development.
