Tarlac tech hub draws land and water concerns amid investment push

A technology hub proposed for Tarlac province has prompted questions from farmers and indigenous communities about possible displacement and resource pressures, even as Philippine officials point to its potential investment and employment benefits.

The Philippines has allocated a 1,620ha site within New Clark City for the development. Building work is expected to begin in 2028. The project belongs to the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which seeks more secure global supply chains covering AI, semiconductors and critical minerals. Philippine and US officials are aiming to agree on a framework before 2026 ends.

Mander Matias, a farmer from O'Donnell village in Capas, told CNA that residents had received too little information. He worries about keeping his family home and whether farmers lacking formal education could obtain work at the hub beyond construction jobs.

Roseller Rodriguez, the mayor of Capas, has called for community consultations by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the agency overseeing the site. Demonstrations have also been held in Manila, while several lawmakers have requested a formal inquiry into the development's potential costs and benefits.

BCDA puts the project's electricity requirement at a minimum of 3 gigawatts, with daily water demand ranging from 60 million to 90 million litres. Giovanni Tapang, a scientist at the University of the Philippines, warned that taking river water away from irrigation could lower agricultural productivity and leave farmers more exposed to drought.

The agency says it will draw on surface water rather than groundwater and will not compete with existing community supplies. On Oct 13, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said local livelihoods and indigenous cultural heritage, including ancestral burial grounds, would not be endangered by the project.