The planned artificial intelligence (AI)-native industrial hub in New Clark City in Tarlac Province is a “win-win” for the Philippines, which recently signed the US-led Pax Silica Declaration with 14 other states, an official said Friday.

The hub, to be constructed in a 4,000-acre area along the Luzon Economic Corridor, will be the first in the world.

In a briefing Friday, Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investment (BOI) Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said the hub supports commercial operations of high-technology firms, specially those catering to AI-related services.

“When we define economic security on our part, it’s really using economics to really add value and uplift the lives of our people, increasing our capacity to be part of the industrial supply chain, including most particularly, for the emerging supply chain like AI. Papunta na dun ang mundo e. Magpapa-iwan ba tayo? (The world is going this path. Will we allow ourselves to be left behind?),” he said.

“We are willing to associate with countries who have the technology. Tapos (And then) we have the workforce, we have the minerals,” he said, citing also the need to “upskill and upscale” the workforce.

Aside from US firms, Rodolfo said, “there are countries and specific companies in AI-tech manufacturing, in transition energy, and in infrastructure, that reached-out to express the significance of Pax Silica to their investment plans.”

Based on the documents released during the briefing, the Philippine government has committed the 4,000-acre land inside the New Clark City for the hub as its “in-kind contribution” to the proposed coordination office.

It has given a two-year lease free arrangement for the hub, which Rodolfo said “is common for land development projects”, to be used for master planning.

“Pag walang nangyari within two years revert back ang property to BCDA (Bases Conversion and Development Authority) (If there will be no developments within two years, the property will be reverted back to BCDA),” he said.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua Bingcang, during the same briefing, said construction of the hub will be done in phases.

“But what we are sure of and we will make it happen is within the first two years, we will be able to at least break ground on the first phase of development,” he said. (PNA)