More than 20 companies are exploring potential investments in the Philippines’ fast-growing Luzon Economic Corridor, as the country positions itself as a future hub for artificial intelligence-driven manufacturing and critical mineral supply chains.
The planned investments are centered around the first AI-native industrial acceleration hub under the Pax Silica initiative, a flagship program of the US government focused on artificial intelligence and supply chain security. The hub is set to rise in New Clark City within a 4,000-acre industrial zone inside the Luzon Economic Corridor.
During a visit to the site on Monday, Jacob Helberg said more than a dozen American firms have already shown interest in participating in the initiative.
“Every company here is interested in potentially becoming part of this historic effort,” Helberg said, noting that several participating firms are billion-dollar companies.
The high-level visit brought together officials from the United States government, the Department of Trade and Industry, and other stakeholders following the Philippines’ recent signing onto the Pax Silica program.
Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said interest is also coming from investors outside the US, with at least five American firms and five Middle Eastern companies considering projects tied to the economic corridor.
The proposed AI manufacturing hub is expected to serve as a platform for allied manufacturing industries, with officials aiming to build a new industrial ecosystem around advanced technology, semiconductors, and critical minerals processing.
Rodolfo said even existing manufacturers in nearby industrial regions such as Calabarzon are already exploring ways to become part of the future supply chain linked to the AI hub.
The project also seeks to leverage the Philippines’ mineral reserves, including nickel, copper, chromite, and cobalt — resources considered vital to global technology and clean energy supply chains.
During the visit, Helberg, Rodolfo, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority President and CEO Joshua Bingcang unveiled a project marker at the proposed Pax Silica site.
Helberg said the initiative is still in its early stages, with discussions now focused on long-term land arrangements, infrastructure buildout, and determining which industries will be prioritized inside the industrial zone.
He also praised the Philippine government for backing what he described as an ambitious industrial strategy.
Bingcang clarified that the project will remain governed under Philippine laws, including the Investors’ Lease Act and the BCDA law, dismissing concerns that the industrial hub could operate under separate US legal arrangements.
The Luzon Economic Corridor has emerged as one of the Philippines’ major economic development priorities, with the government aiming to attract foreign investment, strengthen supply chain resilience, and position the country as a regional manufacturing and technology hub.
