Mayor Archival defends AI push; Garganera urges focus on floods, waste

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mayor Nestor Archival defended his administration’s push to prepare Cebu City for an artificial intelligence-driven economy on Thursday, August 6, insisting that his recent remarks were not an “official” endorsement of the proposed Pax Silica initiative.

Meanwhile, a city councilor urged the mayor to prioritize the city’s flooding, garbage, water, and power supply problems instead.

Archival said that his administration remains focused on equipping Cebuanos with digital skills and AI education to prepare them for future jobs. But he also stressed that Cebu City has yet to endorse the proposed Pax Silica project.

He emphasized that preparing the city for artificial intelligence should not automatically translate into backing a specific investment proposal.

Mayor Archival on AI, new technologies

“Supporting AI readiness and embracing emerging technologies should not be interpreted as an official endorsement of the Pax Silica project,” Archival said.

He added that the city would subject any major investment to legal review, public consultation, environmental safeguards, and transparency before making any decision.

Councilor Joel Garganera, chairman of the City Council Committee on Environment and Energy, publicly questioned whether Cebu City should even consider participating in Pax Silica while longstanding environmental problems remain unsolved.

Garganera said that the city should first confront recurring floods, the ongoing solid waste management crisis, watershed degradation, and unstable water and power supplies before entertaining investments that demand substantial natural resources.

An update on the upland development moratorium

“While investments in AI and advanced manufacturing can create opportunities, I believe Cebu City should not pursue participation in the Pax Silica initiative unless we first address our existing environmental challenges,” Garganera said.

He noted that he had recently delivered a privilege speech asking the mayor to update the City Council on the proposed citywide moratorium on upland development. That was first raised on Dec. 16, 2025.

According to Garganera, 232 days have passed without any update from the executive department.

He warned that pursuing large-scale technology investments without first resolving those issues could place additional pressure on the city’s strained environmental resources.

“We should not put the cart before the horse,” Garganera said, citing recurring yellow and red power grid alerts, limited potable water supply, and utility costs that remain among the highest in the country.

‘Focus on flooding, garbage’

“The mayor needs to reorganize his priorities,” Garganera added. “[Focus first on our flooding and garbage problems, Mayor].”

He maintained that economic development should not come at the expense of environmental sustainability and public welfare.

Earlier this week, Archival said that Cebu City wanted to prepare its workforce for opportunities expected from the country’s expanding artificial intelligence and semiconductor industries.

He cited the city’s memorandum of agreement with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), AI training for returning overseas Filipino workers, and plans to expand digital skills training among Cebu City Hall employees.

The mayor also said that artificial intelligence has already begun reshaping industries, particularly the business process outsourcing sector, making workforce retraining necessary to keep Cebuanos competitive.

Asked during Monday’s press conference whether Cebu City would welcome AI-related investments should the national initiative expand beyond New Clark City, Archival replied in the affirmative and pointed to the city’s ongoing collaboration with DOST.

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