Fox Sili...silly...ka

It could either be a really evil thing to descend upon the country or a panacea for our ailing economy. It’s the talk of the town among businesses, entrepreneurs, environmentalists and activists, aside from the impeachment issue. Even journalists are busy covering it. And yes, even vloggers aren’t oblivious to it.

So it was really surprising to hear that the presidential frontrunner for the 2028 elections seemed clueless when asked about the controversial US-led Pax Silica initiative, a term derived from the Latin pax, meaning peace, and silica, the material used to make silicon chips.

“What, Fox Sili...? I cannot comment on that,” she said when asked by a vlogger in a chance interview.

It was in April when the Philippines joined the US-led initiative, which supposedly aims to build a secure and resilient supply chain for AI and semiconductors.

VP Sara Duterte should have at least looked into it. In fact, she could have added it to her growing list of criticisms against the Marcos administration. She could have framed it as anti-China and pro-America.

Apart from the US, its other signatories are Australia, Greece, India, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Under the initiative, the Philippines and the US are developing an AI hub in New Clark City.

The so-called AI hub is a 1,600-hectare industrial zone within the Luzon Economic Corridor.

“The zone is intended to combine American institutional expertise – including internationally enforceable contracts, transparent regulatory standards and dispute resolution mechanisms – with the Philippines’ workforce, mineral endowments, energy resources and strategic position at the crossroads of Indo-Pacific trade,” according to global consultancy and IT advisory firm Avasant.

The initiative is still in its early stages, with no details yet on anchor tenants, investment commitments and contract provisions.

Officials said groundbreaking for the first phase of development could occur within two years, or before the end of the Marcos administration in 2028.

The planned site is New Clark City in Tarlac. At present, there’s not a lot of development in the area, so such an AI hub could provide a major boost to the economy.

Questions remain

But this is no ordinary hub or just your usual big foreign investor setting up shop in the country. It is a massive AI manufacturing hub that would require enormous amounts of power and water. Do we have the infrastructure to support it? Do we even have the regulatory framework to make it happen?

And what if the VP becomes president and cancels the project altogether?

Momentum matters at UP Los Baños

The question may also apply at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), one of the busiest UP campuses and, as I’ve seen during my visits, among the most vibrant and innovative, especially under the leadership of UPLB Chancellor Jose “Dong” Camacho, or “Chancy Dong,” as the community calls him.

I think about this now as the search for UPLB’s next chancellor has begun.

As expected, the conversation will revolve around competing visions for the university’s future. It should also focus on something equally important: execution.

Leadership transitions are a hallmark of healthy institutions. Yet there are moments when continuity is not simply desirable – it becomes a strategic advantage.

UPLB is at such a moment.

The campus has implemented several major initiatives that are now entering their most critical phase: implementation. The investments have largely been made, partnerships have been established and negotiations are advancing.

What matters now is sustained execution. Losing momentum at this stage could delay opportunities that took years to build.

One example is the Korea-funded KOICA Genetics Research Laboratories, which are now nearing completion and which would strengthen UPLB’s capacity for advanced research, innovation and extension.

They can also expand opportunities for collaboration with industry and international partners.

Another is the Agro-Industrial and Information Technology Park, which has the potential to become a bridge between laboratory discoveries and commercial applications.

By providing investors with a venue to evaluate and negotiate promising UPLB-developed technologies, it can accelerate technology transfer and bring more university innovations into the marketplace.

I also learned during a visit a few months back that UPLB is beginning to unlock the potential of its land-grant resources.

Discussions with prospective investors have focused on high-impact sectors such as precision agriculture, drone technology, renewable energy, greenhouse production and other innovation-driven enterprises.

Equally significant are UPLB’s expanding partnerships with local government units. Although less visible than infrastructure projects, these collaborations may ultimately have the widest impact.

Discussions with the province of Quezon, for instance, are advancing on initiatives that would tap UPLB’s scientific and technical expertise to help revitalize the province’s coconut industry.

When I was a freshman at UP Diliman, I naively thought that faraway UPLB was all about basic agriculture and teaching students how to plant crops or milk cows. Of course, it was so much more than that.

It was only when I started visiting the campus that I learned about UPLB’s broader vision – not only as a premier academic institution but also as a catalyst for innovation, technology commercialization, sustainable agriculture and countryside development.

And today, I have seen its progress toward becoming a world-class campus.

Against this backdrop, the challenge for UPLB is not simply choosing its next leader but ensuring that the momentum behind these initiatives continues.