US envoy Jacob Helberg visits Philippines, Singapore to boost tech and supply chain ties
Jacob Helberg, the US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs, will travel to the Philippines and Singapore from May 17 to 21. The visit follows the recent signing of the Pax Silica Declaration, a US-led push to secure supply chains for semiconductors and artificial intelligence technologies. His trip aims to deepen ties in emerging tech and economic security across Southeast Asia. The US Department of State confirmed Helberg’s visit on Saturday. In the Philippines, he will focus on rolling out the Pax Silica initiative, which includes plans for a 4,000-acre industrial hub in the Luzon Economic Corridor. This zone is designed to boost production of critical materials for global supply chains.
Helberg is set to tour the proposed site of the Economic Security Zone. Meetings with government officials and business leaders will cover supply chain resilience, tech innovation, and economic cooperation between Manila and Washington. In Singapore, he will join a US-ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable. The discussions will centre on the role of artificial intelligence in the region. His engagements will also involve private sector representatives to promote a secure, innovation-driven tech ecosystem across ASEAN member-states.
The visit builds on the Pax Silica Declaration’s goals to strengthen supply chains and tech partnerships. Helberg’s talks in both countries will seek to advance economic security and innovation between the US and its ASEAN allies. Concrete steps, including the Luzon industrial hub, are expected to follow.
