The US and the Philippines may be in the works of building a massive 1,600+ hectare artificial intelligence (AI) and supply chain hub in New Clark City. Dubbed an “Economic Security Zone,” the project aims to secure long-term, multi-administration stability for American tech investors pouring billions into local infrastructure.
To this end, US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg recently led a high-level delegation of several American companies to inspect the site in New Clark City. This site visit’s goal was to finalize investments and ensure that both the US and the Philippines enjoy mutual benefit.
“Investors who are going to spend billions of dollars to build out very expensive CapEx need to make sure that those investments outlive administrations in both of our countries,” Helberg stated, emphasizing that long-term capital expenditures require absolute “durability and certainty.”
There seems to be much interest, considering at least 20 firms have reportedly expressed their intent to invest, both from the US and Middle East.
“There are already investors who are at this time very specifically interested in these certain areas adjacent to the 4,000-acre hub. But, going beyond that, even our existing locators, let’s say as far as Calabarzon, have been expressing interest and asking how can they be part of the supply chain for the AI hub,” Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo added.
Despite the shared enthusiasm, the project has already encountered its first minor snag. When questioned about media reports claiming that American personnel stationed at the hub would be granted diplomatic immunity, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Joshua Bingcang firmly shut down the rumors.
“That’s their request, but we did not agree to that,” Bingcang clarified, confirming that the zone will strictly operate under local laws, specifically the BCDA Law and the Investors’ Lease Act.
The ambitious blueprint for the New Clark City hub development was finalized following the Philippines’ official entry into Pax Silica: a US-led, cross-continental supply chain alliance created to secure critical technological sectors.
The alliance aims to decentralize the production of advanced semiconductors, electronics, and AI infrastructure by delegating among network of trusted allies, reducing overreliance on highly concentrated traditional tech hubs.
By joining the declaration, the Philippines became the 13th country to align with the framework, joining nations like Australia, India, Israel, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The State Department views the upcoming Luzon hub as its flagship “AI-native industrial acceleration” project, leveraging the Philippines’ strategic location and rich reserves of critical minerals like nickel and copper to power the next generation of global tech manufacturing.
Technical assessments and engineering site surveys for the mega-zone are scheduled to begin next month, with initial groundwork projected to commence within the next year.
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