As the national government accelerates its drive toward advanced industrialization and high-tech manufacturing, the Senate has launched a comprehensive legislative inquiry into the proposed Pax Silica project, a massive 1,600-hectare development slated for New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
While the multi-billion-peso initiative promises to elevate the Philippines into a regional technology hub, the project’s initial roll-out has stirred deep anxiety among local communities. More than 1,000 Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and nearly 300 local farmers in Central Luzon face potential displacement, concerns regarding ancestral burial grounds, agricultural loss and environmental sustainability.
The inquiry, convened by the Senate Committee on Public Services alongside the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, aims to scrutinize the project’s operational, environmental and social impacts on affected areas in Capas and neighboring provinces of Pampanga and Zambales.
Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, who leads trade and industry discussions in the upper chamber, emphasized that while economic modernization and advanced manufacturing are critical national goals, industrialization must never compromise the rights and welfare of vulnerable citizens.
“Sabi nga po, ang totoong progreso sa isang bansa ay nasusukat sa kanilang pagtrato sa mga pinakamahihirap at pinakailangan sa sarili nating bansa,” Aquino stated during the hearing.
Aquino, a native of Tarlac, ensures that economic ambitions do not overshadow basic human rights and local livelihoods and the senate will not compromisethe welfare of ordinary Filipinos.
“Development, yes. But not at the expense of our people. Sa atin pong hangaring mag-modernize… siguraduhin natin na walang maiiwan. At ang totoong progreso sa isang bansa ay nasusukat sa ating pagtrato sa mga pinakamahihirap at pinakanangangailangan,” he said.
He warned that unmonitored development historically leads to severe collateral damage for marginalized groups. Drawing parallels to past government interventions, such as the sudden closure of Boracay, he recalled how thousands of formal workers overnight were forced to line up for government food hand-outs due to poor transitional planning.
“Sa atin pong hangarin na mag-modernize, na wala pong maiiwan and worse, wala pong maaantala… Sa atin pong kasaysayan, nakita ho natin na kapag walang nagbabantay, posibleng magkaprogreso, mayroon namang marginalized groups ang patuloy na napapahirapan,” he said.
The legislative probe brought to light significant gaps in preliminary community consultations. According to tribal leaders and local officials, the announcement of the Pax Silica project came as a surprise to the affected communities.
Over 300 IP families (exceeding 1,000 individuals) residing in Sitio Sapang Kawayan reside directly in the center of the 1,600-hectare allocation. A primary concern raised during the hearing was the potential desecration of their sacred ancestral burial grounds.
Local records indicate that at least 266 active farmers risk losing access to agricultural lands they have tilled for generations.
“Nais ho nating makita kung ano ba talaga ang mga plano at anong tipo ng facilities ang bubuuin sa Pax Silica… Binanggit sa atin ni Mayor na walang naging konsultasyon bago ang announcement. Nauna ang announcement, nagulat na lang ang mga residente na malaking parte ng capas ang apektado,” he explained.
“Ano ba talaga ang pangangailangan pagdating sa kuryente? Sa tubig? Meron ba talagang magsasaka na mawawalan ng lupa? Meron ba talagang IP na mapapaalis sa kanilang ancestral domain?” he added.
The senator pressed government agencies including the BCDA, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to establish a binding commitment against forced evictions and arbitrary demolitions.
“I already have the go-signal from my colleagues—ako po ang magha-handle ng budget ng DTI at ng BCDA. So, magkikita-kita ho tayo ulit sa budget hearings. Before we pass any budget, kailangang makita namin ang malinaw at konkretong plano para sa tulong at relokasyon ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.
As the Senate prepares for follow-up inquiry sessions and upcoming budget deliberations, Aquino reassured the residents of Central Luzon that the legislature will maintain close oversight.
“Kami sa Senado ang magbabantay. Ang bawat commitment na nabanggit ngayon—na walang mawawala, na ang kalikasan at ang tao ay mapoprotektahan—sisiguraduhin natin na matutupad gamit ang kapangyarihan ng Senado,” he concluded.
