Philippine tribe in limbo over U.S.-led tech hub

Filipino chieftain Petronila Munoz points at the proposed land where the Pax Silica Hub might be built in Capas, Tarlac province, the Philippines, on Sept. 2. | AFP-JIJI

Sep 20, 2026

Capas, Philippines – Tribal leader Petronila Munoz walked across the sweeping Philippine grasslands she has called home for generations, uncertain about its future, as a sprawling tech hub for a U.S.-led initiative takes shape.

With little information and no prior consultation, the Indigenous chieftain said her Aeta Hungey tribe was uncertain how much of their land could be affected or what will become of the livelihood it provides.

“There’s still no clarity,” Munoz said inside the tribe’s traditional meeting hall.

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