Philippine tribe vows to stand ground against US-led Pax Silica: ‘listen to us’

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 US-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 would become of the livelihood it provided.

“There’s still no clarity,” Munoz said inside the tribe’s traditional meeting hall. “What will happen to us? That’s our biggest question.”

In April, the United States announced that the Philippines had joined Pax Silica, a US-led effort to strengthen supply chains for semiconductors and rare earth elements and reduce participating countries’ dependence on China.