DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the Pax Silica site in New Clark City, Tarlac, will not host hyperscaler data centers. The hub will instead focus on manufacturing operations to support the country’s AI supply chain.
Aguda explained that hyperscaler data centers need massive resources. To avoid straining inland communities, future data centers are planned in coastal provinces, citing Batangas and Bataan. These areas have direct access to seawater, with desalination plants that can also provide clean water for households.
Meanwhile, Malacañang clarified that there are no proposals yet to build AI data centers in the Philippines. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Clark Advanced Manufacturing Park will focus on producing equipment and components for AI data centers and other AI-enabled products, but will not host data centers itself. She added that any investment project must comply with government and environmental rules.
Aguda stressed that the plan was studied carefully with public welfare in mind. Developers must be self-reliant, building roads, securing power, and managing water without government support. This setup is meant to keep the project sustainable and prevent the use of public funds.
Also Read: Pax Silica projects not limited to New Clark City; other PH sites eyed
The government sees Pax Silica as a national project. The New Clark City hub is expected to generate ₱180 billion annually and create 200,000 jobs. By focusing on production, it will build hardware and equipment for AI systems while leaving data center operations to other ecozones.
