Four new sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States have already been identified, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Wednesday.
Marcos declined to specify the locations as he did not want to preempt the announcement to be made on the matter.
“We’ll make a formal announcement,” he told reporters after attending the 126th founding anniversary of the Philippine Army in Taguig City.
“There are four extra sites scattered around the Philippines. There are some in the north; there are some around Palawan; and there are some further south,” he added.
Marcos said the objective is to defend the country’s eastern coast.
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“Mayroon ding element that is there because of our continental shelf, which is on the eastern side of Luzon. So that’s something that we have to look out for,” he said.
The president said the plan was explained to local government units that initially expressed opposition to hosting EDCA sites.
“We explained to them why it was important that we have that and why it will actually be good for their province,” Marcos said.
“And mukha namang naintindihan nila because most of those who had interposed some objections are really right now, naintindihan naman nila, and they come around to support the idea of an EDCA site in their province,” he added.
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The EDCA, which was signed in 2014, permits US forces to enter some Philippine military locations, build facilities, and preposition equipment, planes, and ships.
According to the US Embassy, the agreement enables the Philippine and US militaries “to train together, respond to natural and humanitarian crises, and achieve modernization goals.”
There are currently five EDCA sites: Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City.
