Makabayan warns Pax Silica’s Subic-Clark plan could hike power costs
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT— The Makabayan bloc on Saturday warned that the proposed energy infrastructure for the United States (US)-backed Pax Silica initiative could further drive up electricity prices and strain the country’s power supply.
In a joint statement, ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise Co said the planned Economic Security Zone in New Clark City would require about 5 gigawatts of electricity, which they claimed would put additional pressure on the country’s already fragile power grid.
The statement came days after President Marcos Jr. and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed advancing the Pax Silica supply chain alliance and its first Economic Security Zone in Clark.
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The lawmakers noted that the United States had committed more than $100 million in new foreign assistance for infrastructure supporting the initiative.
“With Pax Silica, power rates in the Philippines could become the highest in Southeast Asia and even the whole of Asia permanently. The 5-gigawatt demand will strain our already fragile grid to the breaking point, triggering rolling blackouts across the country and driving electricity prices even higher,” the lawmakers said.
Energy strategy
They also questioned the project’s proposed energy strategy, citing plans for an LNG pipeline between Subic and Clark and investments in solar and battery storage facilities.
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According to the lawmakers, these would lock the Philippines into dependence on foreign-controlled energy infrastructure while diverting public investments to support what they described as an American-led industrial project.
The bloc also echoed concerns raised by the farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, describing Pax Silica as a “massive sellout” of the country’s land, minerals, and sovereignty.
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“This is waste production disguised as so-called development. The government is opening our mountains and ancestral lands to more destructive mining and industries that serve foreigners rather than the Filipino people,” the group said.
It added that the project’s projected electricity requirement suggests it is intended to host large-scale data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities for American technology corporations and military applications.
“The energy crisis that will inevitably result from diverting 5 gigawatts to Pax Silica will devastate ordinary Filipinos. Manufacturing will be disrupted. Healthcare facilities will face power shortages. Schools will lack reliable electricity. Households will endure rolling blackouts. Agricultural processing will be hampered. Meanwhile, an American-controlled industrial zone will enjoy uninterrupted, priority access to Philippine electricity,” the lawmakers said.
The Makabayan bloc called on the Marcos administration to immediately halt Pax Silica and all related infrastructure projects, conduct a comprehensive national energy audit to determine how much electricity the country can sustainably generate and allocate, prioritize electrification of underserved communities, and ensure reliable power for healthcare, education, and small and medium enterprises.
The lawmakers also urged the government to reassert state control and public ownership over critical energy infrastructure and reject arrangements that would lock the country into dependence on foreign-controlled energy infrastructure.
“No portion of Philippine electricity should be sacrificed to serve American or any foreign interests or military objectives. The Filipino people will not pay the price of energy poverty, higher electricity costs, and diminished economic opportunity while American corporations profit from Philippine resources. This is not development; this is the conversion of the Philippines into a resource extraction zone for American imperialism. We will not allow it,” the lawmakers said.
Government officials have previously said Pax Silica is expected to generate investments, jobs, and economic activity by positioning the Philippines as a key hub in global semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains. /mcm