[OPINION] US Pax Silica initiative: Good or bad?

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) recently acted on what he regarded as a bold step to significantly add to the country’s productivity and growth. This is the participation of the Philippines as a signatory and key player in the US Pax Silica initiative. This US initiative immediately drew strong opposition from supposed nationalists-cum-environmental activists and security experts, but dismissed by China critics as nothing but China’s proxies, for this US-led effort is basically positioned to reduce global reliance on Chinese semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains. China critics also see it as the country’s tangible message to rebuff China’s…