Vol. VIII, No. 20 - October 31, 2026
No red carpet for Trump, no blank check for US imperialism! As US President Donald Trump prepares for his anticipated visit to Manila for the November 16–18 ASEAN Summit, the Philippines faces a critical battle over its sovereignty, natural resources and future. Behind the promises of technological progress and billions in investments, Pax Silica threatens to deepen the country’s dependence on US capital and draw it further into Washington’s intensifying rivalry with China. But across the Philippines and beyond, resistance is gathering. From street protests to international solidarity in Bangkok, people are raising a fundamental question: whose interests will Pax Silica serve—the Filipino people or the strategic ambitions of US imperialism?
Pax Silica must be understood in the context of intensifying US-China rivalry. Washington seeks to strengthen its control over strategic technologies and the mineral resources essential to their production. Rich in critical minerals but lacking comparable technological and industrial capacity, the Philippines risks being reduced to a supplier of raw materials, land and cheap labor for industries whose principal benefits accrue to foreign capital. As the International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS)-Philippines has argued, the struggle over critical minerals is increasingly a struggle for global economic and military dominance.
The proposed 1,620-hectare industrial hub in New Clark City, Tarlac, is being promoted as a major step toward high-value manufacturing. However, investment pledges and projected job creation cannot compensate for the loss of agricultural land and the livelihoods of farmers and Indigenous Aeta communities in Capas. Concerns over land conversion, water and energy consumption, environmental destruction, and workers’ livelihoods therefore demand serious scrutiny. Moreover, AI infrastructure has potential military applications, raising concerns that Philippine resources and production could become increasingly integrated into US strategic and military supply chains.
Resistance is already taking shape. Protests against Pax Silica and the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio were held outside the Philippine International Convention Center in July. Demonstrations have also confronted investment forums promoting the initiative. Filipino-American activists have challenged the involvement of defense and technology contractors, while artists have organized exhibitions, workshops and protests linking AI expansion to threats against creative livelihoods, agricultural land and Indigenous communities. These actions reflect growing opposition to a development model that prioritizes corporate and geopolitical interests over people’s needs.
The resistance is increasingly international. In Bangkok, Thailand, Philippine-led organizations and international allies convened the “Shut the Pax Down” workshop alongside the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in October. The gathering brought together activists and organizations to coordinate strategies against Pax Silica, linking the struggle for Philippine sovereignty with international labor, women’s, Indigenous peoples’ and climate justice movements. This international solidarity recognizes that confronting resource plunder and imperialist domination requires coordinated resistance across national borders.
With Trump’s anticipated Manila visit, the struggle enters a crucial period. Progressive organizations have rejected calls to postpone protests in the name of hospitality and summit security. The people’s democratic right to assemble and express dissent must not be suspended to accommodate a visiting president or shield agreements from public scrutiny. Workers, peasants, Indigenous peoples, students, environmental defenders and solidarity organizations must be heard.
The challenge extends beyond opposing one industrial project. It is to assert an alternative vision of development in which Philippine land, minerals, water, energy and scientific capacity serve the people. Genuine progress requires national industrialization, decent and sustainable employment, food sovereignty, environmental protection, respect for Indigenous peoples’ rights and democratic control over natural resources.
As Trump arrives in Manila, the protests will carry a message across the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific: the region’s future cannot be dictated by Washington’s strategic ambitions or the rivalry of competing powers. Through international solidarity and collective resistance, peoples can defend their sovereignty and struggle for a future founded on social justice and ecological sustainability.
Reject imperialist plunder! Defend the people’s resources! Shut Down Pax Silica!