Globe sees private sector role in PH bid to tap Pax Silica

Insider Spotlight

• Globe says Philippine companies should start identifying capabilities that could support opportunities emerging from Pax Silica.
• The government is studying a technology corridor spanning advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure and critical minerals.
• Globe sees fiber, connectivity and data centers as areas where it can contribute to the country's technology ecosystem.

Globe Telecom Inc. said Philippine companies should play an active role in shaping the country's participation in Pax Silica as the government explores opportunities in global technology industries and supply chains.

In a statement over the weekend, Globe president and CEO Carl Cruz said closer cooperation between government and business could help determine where existing private-sector capabilities can support the Philippines' technology ambitions.

Why it matters

“We see Pax Silica as an important conversation for the country, and the private sector should be part of it,” he said. “Philippine companies already bring different capabilities to the table, and there is value in looking at how these can complement the government's efforts as the opportunities become clearer.”

Cruz' comments echo Ayala Corp. chair Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala's call for local companies to begin assessing where their strengths could fit into opportunities emerging from Pax Silica even as details of the initiative are still being developed.

The bigger picture

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo has proposed a Philippine Technology Corridor that could include advanced manufacturing in New Clark City, integrated circuit design in Metro Manila, AI compute and cloud infrastructure in Batangas and a Pacific-facing connectivity gateway in Aurora.

Other potential nodes include critical minerals development in Mindanao and a semiconductor fabrication hub in Bulacan.

Rodolfo has said these areas build on industries already being developed in the Philippines rather than projects being pursued solely because of Pax Silica.

Where Globe fits

Globe said fiberization, connectivity and data centers are areas where it could support an expanding technology ecosystem as AI, cloud computing and advanced manufacturing require increasingly resilient digital infrastructure.

“Our role is to make sure that, where connectivity is needed, we are ready to support,” Cruz said. “This is a broader national effort, and each industry will have something different to contribute. What is important at this stage is that the private sector is engaged in the conversation and looking at where it can meaningfully help.”

Globe said continued discussions involving government, business and academe could help identify where Philippine capabilities can contribute as the initiative develops.

— Edited by Daxim L. Lucas