inhabited for generations. With little information and no prior consultation, the roughly 1,000-member tribe does not know how much of their land will be affected or what will happen to their livelihood. In April, the United States announced the Philippines had joined Pax Silica, an effort to strengthen semiconductor and rare earth supply chains and reduce dependence on China. The Philippines designated a 1,620-hectare site in New Clark City, Tarlac, for a manufacturing hub producing high-end components for AI data centres. The government estimates the project could attract up to USD 70 billion and create 190,000 jobs—significant for a country with over three million unemployed—though no tenants are confirmed and timelines are long.

For the Aetas, displacement is already looming. In July, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) warned in a letter that the project "could affect your occupied lands." Munoz said BCDA employees told them to leave by December and relocate about 16 kilometres away, without a master plan showing affected areas. The BCDA offered 30 pesos (USD 0.48) per square metre, which the tribe declined. "Land is more important. Money runs out," Munoz said, noting their lives, livelihood and culture are tied to the ancestral land.

The BCDA declined to answer specific questions and rejected a freedom of information request for boundary maps. Its president, Joshua Bingcang, told the Senate the Aetas live on government land and hold no title. Civic groups also worry about water and electricity demands in a country prone to drought and outages. The US State Department said environmental, water, energy and community-impact studies would inform the project's design. Analysts say the Philippines' distance from Chinese capital makes it attractive to investors, calling Pax Silica a "historic opportunity," though some criticise poor government communication and transparency. Munoz, 63, refuses to leave, even if her home is flattened: "Why do we have to be the ones to sacrifice for the kind of development they want?" (Bssnews)