-- The U.S. and the Philippines plan to build a 4,000-acre industrial hub in the Luzon Economic Corridor to strengthen supply chains for critical goods and advanced technologies, the U.S. State Department said Thursday.
The site will be designated as an "Economic Security Zone," the first of its kind under the broader Pax Silica initiative, designed to accelerate AI-driven and allied manufacturing investment.
Officials said the zone will use the Philippines' strategic location, skilled workforce, and resource base, while incorporating U.S. legal and regulatory frameworks to support investment certainty and dispute resolution.
The project will serve as a model for future interconnected industrial hubs across partner countries, the department said.