The Philippines’ biggest tech bet just added a second address. Board of Investments chief Ceferino Rodolfo revealed that the government is talking with a Metro Manila local government unit about hosting an integrated circuit design national hub under Pax Silica, expanding the initiative beyond its New Clark City anchor.
What was confirmed at the budget briefing
Speaking at the DTI budget hearing, Trade Undersecretary Rodolfo said the agency talked “just last week” with a Metro Manila locality that already hosts 13 IC hub sites, four of them Filipino-owned. He described the proposed hub as “more service oriented” than Clark’s advanced manufacturing focus, and confirmed the partner country is not the United States but another member of the Pax Silica coalition.
| Pax Silica site | Focus | Status | Key facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Clark City, Tarlac | AI-era advanced manufacturing hub | 1,620-hectare site designated | Projected P180 billion yearly revenue, ~200,000 jobs, but needs 3GW power and 39 billion liters of water annually |
| Metro Manila LGU (unnamed) | IC design national hub, service-oriented | Talks ongoing | City already has 13 IC hub sites; partner is a Pax Silica member other than the US |
| Data center location | Possible, elsewhere | Under discussion | Officials confirmed: no data center in Clark due to water/power constraints |
Why splitting the project makes sense
The Clark hub has drawn fire over resource math: UP professor Teodoro Mendoza estimates its 3GW power draw and 39-billion-liter annual water requirement, which is why lawmakers pressed officials on whether the site even fits a data center. Rodolfo conceded it does not, saying data centers “may happen in another location” with better water and electricity access. Pushing design work into Metro Manila, where the engineers and existing IC companies already are, spreads both the benefits and the burden.
The bigger picture
Pax Silica, the US-led coalition spanning 23 countries plus one economy, aims to secure the AI supply chain from minerals to software, and the Philippines joined as a founding-tier player. We have followed this closely: from what the 4,000-acre AI hub really means, to the rare earths and land trade-offs behind the Philippines joining Pax Silica, to Foxconn potentially anchoring the Clark hub. Taiwan separately floated its own cooperation plans this month, suggesting competition to host pieces of the chain is real.
What to watch next
Three things: which LGU signs on (Rodolfo declined to name it to avoid preempting talks), which partner country funds the design hub, and whether the Senate budget debate surfaces more conditions on the Clark site. If the Manila design hub lands, expect hiring surges in EDA tools, chip verification and embedded roles long before any fab ever breaks ground.
