On Monday, the Philippines announced four more military bases where the United States will have access, nearly doubling the number of sites included in a defense agreement aimed at strengthening the longstanding alliance between the two countries.
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) emphasizes the strategic importance of the Philippines to its former colonial ruler, the United States, amid growing concerns over China's behavior in the South China Sea and tensions surrounding self-governed Taiwan.
Signed in 2014 under US President Barack Obama, the EDCA permits US access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment, and construction of facilities such as runways, fuel storage, and military housing, without constituting a permanent presence.
The newly disclosed sites include the Camilo Osias naval base in Sta Ana, Lal-lo airport in Cagayan province, Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela province, and the island of Balabac off Palawan.
These locations are significant, as Isabela and Cagayan face north toward Taiwan, while Palawan is near the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has constructed artificial islands equipped with runways and missile systems.
Defense chief Carlito Galvez described the sites as "very strategic," emphasizing the Philippines' responsibility to the international community in the South China Sea. Galvez stated, "That's a trade route... where more or less $3 trillion trade passes (annually). Our responsibility to collectively secure that is huge."
