๐ท: Philippine News Agency / FB
The Makabayan bloc has urged Congress to scrutinize the Marcos administrationโs decision to join the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, warning that the pact risks turning the Philippines into a โsupply chain outpost for the U.S. war machine.โ
On April 16, the Philippines became the 13th signatory to Pax Silica, a strategic coalition aimed at securing global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals.
The agreement designates parts of Luzon as an Economic Security Zone, envisioned as an industrial hub for inputs vital to U.S. supply chains.
In a statement, the progressive lawmakers described the initiative as โwar production by another name,โ arguing that while framed as economic security, the pact locks the country into a pipeline from mineral extraction to electronics output, with end-use applications in missiles, drones, and surveillance systems.
โThis is fundamentally about war production, not neutral industrial development,โ the bloc declared, cautioning that the plan entrenches the Philippines deeper into great power rivalry and exposes the nation to economic coercion, trade retaliation, and instability.
The lawmakers rejected claims that Pax Silica would spur genuine national development, warning that the Philippines would be relegated to low-tier roles such as assembly, testing, and packaging, while high-value activities remain abroad.
They demanded full transparency and congressional oversight of commitments tied to the pact, including incentives, regulatory concessions, land and water use, environmental safeguards, labor protections, and security implications.
The bloc further pressed Congress to investigate whether facilities under Pax Silica are being set up as dual-use platforms that could be repurposed for war logistics.
They called for an industrial policy anchored on sovereignty, technology transfer, environmental protection, and living wages โ aimed at building domestic capacity rather than serving foreign strategic competition.
The Philippinesโ entry into Pax Silica coincided with the designation of a 4,000-acre industrial zone in the Luzon Economic Corridor, a project Washington says will help allied supply chains reduce reliance on Chinese-controlled minerals and manufacturing.
Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo signed the declaration at the U.S. State Department, alongside Finlandโs accession to the bloc.
The countryโs value to the coalition lies in its mineral reserves and workforce.
The Philippines is the worldโs largest exporter of raw nickel ore and ranks among the top five globally for nickel, copper, and cobalt reserves. About 80 percent of its nickel ore exports currently go to China, where they are processed into inputs for batteries, steel, and electronics. # (ZIA LUNA)
