EDCA SITES | Philippines, U.S. cooperate to improve logistics handling in EDCA sites

March 18, 2024 , 09:06 PM

By Clarist Zablan

(March 18, 2024) – The United States has vowed to help the Philippines handle the logistics nightmare in existing EDCA sites as it hosts the biggest drills in years, the defense department said on Monday.

Joselito Ramos, defense assistant secretary for logistics, acquisition, and self-reliant defense posture, had met with his U.S. counterpart Christopher Lowman to discuss the logistics capabilities of sites covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

“Both sides committed to addressing the capability gaps of the EDCA sites, and emphasized that sustaining regional cooperation between like-minded countries will further enhance interoperability,” the department said in a statement.

Ramos said the EDCA sites “could accommodate a large number of logistical assets,” but they have been facing challenges in logistics, transportation, resupply, overhaul, and maintenance.

The meeting coincided with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Manila to discuss economic cooperation and various global issues in a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Last year, the Philippines expanded the number of locations under EDCA, which gave U.S. troops access to Philippine military facilities, from five to nine.

The original EDCA sites are Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan de Oro. The additional sites are Naval Base Camilo Osias and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Isabela, and Balabac Island in Palawan.

The expansion of EDCA locations angered China, who warned the Philippines that this could drag the country into a “geopolitical strife.”

Some local politicians and residents in Cagayan also opposed the additional EDCA locations, fearing that they could become affected if the heightened tensions between nearby island Taiwan and China escalate into a war.

The Philippine government under Marcos Jr. has pivoted back to seeking deeper ties with its traditional allies such as the United States as tensions with China grew over the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has also been seeking to enter into possible status of forces agreements, similar to the Visiting Forces Agreements with the United States and Australia, with other foreign countries such as Japan and Canada.

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