Customs chief takes BCDA helm amid controversial Pax Silica - Rappler

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BOC. Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno speaks before the start of the bidding of seven luxury vehicles confiscated from the Discaya family, on November 20, 2025.

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BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – A leadership shake-up is putting a new man in charge of two major government development projects, including Camp John Hay in Baguio and the controversial US-backed Pax Silica initiative at New Clark City, Tarlac.

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), replacing Joshua Bingcang, who is moving to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

Nepomuceno confirmed his transfer on Wednesday, November 11, the same day President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed his appointment, which took immediate effect.

The change comes as BCDA prepares long-term management arrangements for Camp John Hay’s golf course and hotel facilities, following the completion of an updated master development plan for the former American military reservation.

Under Bingcang, BCDA pursued plans to attract private investors to manage and improve the facilities after regaining control of disputed properties from former developer Camp John Hay Development Corporation in January 2025, following a Supreme Court ruling. (READ: Camp John Hay: A 3-decade saga of turf wars, court drama, and a new beginning)

The agency also extended interim management arrangements for the golf course through 2026 while preparing for a long-term concession.

Beyond Baguio, Nepomuceno inherits the proposed 4,000-acre Pax Silica industrial hub in New Clark City, Tarlac, part of a US-led initiative aimed at strengthening supply chains for semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and technologies supporting artificial intelligence.

The proposal has faced scrutiny over its potential environmental impact, land rights, and consultation with affected communities, including indigenous peoples. (READ: [In This Economy] Pax Silica: What’s the Philippines’ trump card?)

Capas Mayor Roseller Rodriguez questioned the lack of prior consultation with local officials and sought greater disclosure of the project’s scope and potential effects. In August, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed that it had not received or processed an environmental impact assessment application for Pax Silica.

BCDA, however, has maintained that the proposed development would occupy designated buildable areas, would not displace Indigenous communities, and would comply with Philippine environmental laws. (READ: Pax Silica: BCDA’s claims and the counterarguments)

Questions over national sovereignty also surfaced during a House hearing on Wednesday, November 11, when lawmakers raised concerns about a proposed joint-governance arrangement with the United States.

Bingcang assured legislators that Philippine laws would prevail, stressing that negotiations on the project’s legal framework were still ongoing, with no confirmed signing date.

Following the announcement of his transfer to PEZA, Bingcang said Pax Silica remained a national government initiative.

Nepomuceno now takes over BCDA with both projects at critical planning stages. The agency has yet to announce whether the leadership change will affect Camp John Hay’s proposed management contracts or the timetable for the Pax Silica agreement. – Rappler.com