Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian. Photo courtesy of Senate of the Philippines.
Senate President Win Gatchalian on Friday threw his support behind the proposed Pax Silica initiative, describing it as a major economic opportunity while stressing that safeguards must come first.
Gatchalian made the remarks during a Senate hearing on the project, where lawmakers examined its potential impact on investment, jobs, energy use, water resources, the environment and affected communities.
He said the initiative could draw nearly $70 billion in investments and generate about 200,000 direct jobs, aside from around 800,000 opportunities during the construction phase.
Gatchalian warned that the Philippines could lose those investments to regional competitors such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia if it failed to move quickly enough.
He also linked the initiative to the broader shift toward artificial intelligence, saying the country needed to prepare for possible job losses in sectors such as business process outsourcing, particularly in entry-level and lower-value positions.
Despite backing the project, Gatchalian said his support came with conditions, including strict compliance with Philippine laws and clear plans to address the project’s heavy demand for electricity and water.
He also called for stronger protection for farmers and Indigenous communities who could face displacement, while pushing for meaningful technology transfer so local industries and workers would gain long-term benefits.
Gatchalian said the Senate should continue monitoring the project as it moves forward to ensure that economic gains do not come at the expense of environmental protection, resource security and affected communities.