Former Chairman of the Philippine National Railways Michael Ted Macapagal praises the formalization of the Luzon Economic Corridor and the newly unveiled Artificial Intelligence (AI) industrial hub inside New Clark City, Tarlac.
The mega-development operates under the United States-led Pax Silica Declaration. By designating New Clark City as the world’s first “Golden Node,” the project establishes an entirely AI-native ecosystem designed to accelerate global tech investments, process critical minerals, and scale next-generation advanced manufacturing.
“For decades, the Philippines has occupied lower-value, marginal roles in the global technology supply chain, primarily confined to basic back-end electronics assembly. Through the Luzon Economic Corridor and this massive AI hub, the administration is aggressively pushing the country into high-value upstream mineral processing and downstream, AI-driven advanced manufacturing,” said Macapagal.
The Pax Silica AI hub has already garnered unprecedented momentum, with US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg recently leading a high-level trade delegation of over 20 massive multinational corporations from the US and the Middle East to inspect the New Clark City site.
Addressing localized concerns regarding sovereignty and operational frameworks, Macapagal emphasized the structural and legal integrity of the partnership.
“As a former executive who spent decades navigating international corporate governance, I want to reassure the public that this is an elite, rule-of-law framework,” Macapagal noted. “The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has explicitly stated that this economic security zone will be governed strictly under Philippine statutory laws, specifically the Investors’ Lease Act and the BCDA Law (Republic Act No. 7227). It will operate as a clean, transparent, and mutually beneficial commercial development contract with our closest allies—with absolutely zero special carve-outs or exemptions that compromise our statutory integrity.“
The New Clark City AI hub that’s part of the Luzon Economic Corridor will link Subic, Clark, Manila, and Batangas to optimize shipping, freight, and digital connectivity.
Physical groundbreaking for the phased, eco-friendly metropolis is aggressively targeted before the end of 2028.
Heavy, highly pollutive industries will be strictly barred from the site; instead, the 4,000-acre master plan integrates green manufacturing facilities alongside cutting-edge research institutes, schools, and smart residential spaces tailored for thousands of Filipino engineers and tech professionals.
“The economic and geopolitical math here is clear,” Macapagal concluded. “By connecting our vast critical mineral reserves—such as our world-leading nickel assets—directly to an AI-native manufacturing ecosystem inside New Clark City, we are generating high-paying, highly sophisticated jobs for the next generation of Filipino workers. This is how we insulate our economy from future global disruptions, win the trust of global venture capital, and cement our standing as the premier technological powerhouse of Southeast Asia.“
— press release
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