BOI Floats Sikat Corridor to Tie AI Investment to Minerals, Chips and Data Centres Nationwide
The Board of Investments (BOI) is preparing a nationwide initiative to link investment in artificial intelligence and advanced technology with critical infrastructure and foreign partners, The Manila Times reported on November 6. Called the Super Intelligence, Knowledge, and Advanced Technology (Sikat) Corridor, the plan would span the AI supply chain from minerals and materials to advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure, according to Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.
Rodolfo said the corridor would connect sites across the country, including Mindanao, complement the Luzon Economic Corridor and align with the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development’s AI governance framework. It would rely entirely on private investment, with no government funding involved so far. The concept is built around nodes: the Clark Advanced Manufacturing Park in New Clark City for advanced manufacturing; a nationwide digital network linking commercial and academic centres for integrated circuit design; a minerals processing facility likely located in Mindanao; two digital infrastructure nodes guided by the DICT’s AI Infrastructure Master Plan, with Batangas first and Aurora in the medium term; and an AI and logistics gateway in Bulacan that Rodolfo called a long-term goal requiring an airport.
Sikat remains at the concept stage and no investment figures are available, although some of its components already operate. The BOI held consultations with industry associations and government agencies in October, previewed the idea at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Australia, and briefed government and industry representatives on Wednesday.
What it means in practice
The corridor tries to stitch together projects that have so far advanced separately, including House Bill 11758’s proposed New Clark City advanced industries zone and talks to widen Pax Silica AI hub plans beyond New Clark. For investors, a single map tying power, land, minerals and data centres could shorten site searches; for local governments, it raises questions about water, grid capacity and who pays for supporting infrastructure if private money is slow to arrive.
What to watch is whether the BOI publishes a formal framework with incentives, which developers commit first to the Batangas digital node, and how the Mindanao processing site is chosen.