Telecommunications giant PLDT Inc. is open to investing in the planned artificial intelligence (AI) hub in New Clark City, but the absence of a clear roadmap for the data center industry could throw the plan into disarray, according to tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan.

Pangilinan, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of PLDT, told reporters that the company sees a clear business case for participating in the AI industrial hub, the development of which would be led by both the Philippines and the United States (US).

“I think PLDT should be part of that. And we'd like to do it, we just need a blueprint,” he said. “Nothing's going to happen in the industry by being where we are today.”

The AI hub is envisioned to encourage investments in support of the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which seeks to establish a global platform through which the US and its allies can secure critical inputs for the AI supply chain.

Pangilinan noted that such an industrial hub would first need substantial facilities and infrastructure, in addition to a highly skilled workforce, to entice companies to invest in the site.

“Do we have them? We don't,” he stressed.

The business titan said this makes it critical for the Marcos administration to come up with a clear roadmap immediately, especially when it comes to data centers, which are a major component of the AI hub.

For one, he said the government should press ahead with a long-delayed measure that would enforce a data sovereignty scheme, requiring public- and private-sector data to be stored in the country instead of abroad.

“We should require both government and private sector companies to store their data here like other countries have required,” said Pangilinan.

“The data of foreign companies belongs to them, so let them store it wherever they want. But at least the Philippine companies should store their data here and patronize our own industry, because otherwise, we won’t grow,” he added.

Based on PLDT’s estimates, the data requirements of the government alone could absorb around 270 megawatts (MW) of data center capacity—more than double the country’s current capacity of 120 MW.

Pangilinan said the industry remains uncertain about whether a data sovereignty policy will be enacted anytime soon, especially amid the ongoing political tussle in the legislative branch.

Once the government establishes a convincing roadmap, he said other companies under his direction would also invest in the Clark AI hub.

He said power utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) would be open to building power plants to support the electricity demand of data centers, while west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. would establish pipeline systems to supply the water needed to operate these facilities.

The development of the AI hub is expected to begin as early as next year, with more than 20 companies from the US already expressing interest in locating at the site.