Philippines, U.S. reveal 4 new EDCA sites

MANILA AND Washington announced announced four new sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Arrangement (EDCA) and these are the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana town and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan province; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu town in Isabela province; and Balabac Island in Palawan province.

Soldiers assigned to the Carnage Battery, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct live-fire mission operations using an M777 towed 155 mm howitzer during Exercise Dynamic Front at Oksbol, Denmark, March 27, 2023. (Photo by  Army Sgt. 1st Class Theresa Gualdarama, Army National Guard)

The naming of these locations follows a February 2023 announcement in which the United States and the Philippines committed to designate four new EDCA sites in strategic areas.

In addition to the five existing sites, these new locations will strengthen the interoperability of the U.S. and Philippine Armed Forces and allow the Pentagon to respond more seamlessly together to address a range of shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including natural and humanitarian disasters. The Department of Defense said it will work in lockstep with the Philippine Department of National Defense and Armed Forces to rapidly pursue modernization projects at these locations.

The Pentagon said it intends to expand funding on top of the $82 million it has allocated toward infrastructure investments at the existing EDCA sites.  In addition to supporting Alliance commitments, these investments will also spur economic growth and job opportunities in their respective provinces, it said.

"The United States is committed to ensuring its activities around EDCA sites are responsive to the needs and priorities of local communities, and we will continue to consult closely with the Philippines on new opportunities that serve our shared interests. The United States and the Philippines have stood shoulder-to-shoulder as friends and allies for more than seven decades, unwavering in our treaty commitments and our shared vision for a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous region. The strides we are making to expand the EDCA and modernize the alliance will ensure this vision endures far into the future," the Pentagon said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the goal of the EDCA is to defend the country’s eastern coast, noting the Philippines’ continental shelf on Luzon’s eastern side was also put into consideration.

His statement came as the Philippines and U.S. hold a joint war game which Filipino security officials claimed is the largest ever military exercises as the longtime allies seek to counter China’s growing regional influence. A total of 17,680 soldiers will take part in the annual drills, which for the first time will include live-fire exercises in the disputed South China Sea and a simulated defense of a tiny Philippine island nearly 300 kilometers (190 miles) south of Taiwan. 

The countries will also stage an amphibious landing on the western island of Palawan, the closest Philippine landmass to the Spratly Islands — a flashpoint for Beijing and Manila. The exercises, scheduled for April 11-28, will involve more than 12,000 American, nearly 5,000 Filipino and 111 Australian soldiers – about twice as many as last year. The Australian troops involved will mainly take part in “special operations” type exercises, Logico said, while Japan will send an observer delegation.

The two countries have been seeking to repair ties that were fractured under Marcos‘s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. Beijing’s growing assertiveness on Taiwan and its building of bases in the South China Sea have given fresh impetus to Washington and Manila to strengthen their partnership, which is underpinned by a mutual defense treaty.  This is the first Balikatan to be held since Marcos took power in June 2022. 

Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines’ maritime rights – in contrast to Duterte who was reluctant to criticize Beijing. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratlys, ignoring an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis. (Mindanao Examiner)