Farmers Urge Congressional Probe into Proposed Pax Silica AI Hub

OLONGAPO CITY — The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), a farmers' group, on Thursday renewed its strong call for Congress to investigate the proposed Pax Silica artificial intelligence (AI) hub that is slated to be built in New Clark City. The group stated that Malacañang’s assurances last month that no farmers would be displaced failed to address lingering questions surrounding the controversial project. KMP highlighted a lack of transparent explanation regarding the specific impacts of the AI hub project on the local community, particularly on agricultural workers. They expressed concerns about insufficient public information and consensus-building processes concerning land use changes and their subsequent effects on livelihoods. The project is framed as part of the Philippine government's push for digital economy and technological innovation. However, issues related to social impact during its implementation, especially concerning land ownership and traditional land use, are likely to remain points of contention. Large-scale development projects in the Philippines frequently face challenges in community consensus and compensation, and the AI hub project is being closely monitored within this context.