US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby said on August 13 that significant progress had been made over the past 18 months in developing nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the Philippines. He said development would continue based on ongoing discussions with President Marcos and Defense Secretary Teodoro.
EDCA does not establish permanent US military bases; rather, it allows rotational access to Philippine military facilities, the construction of infrastructure, and the prepositioning of aircraft, ships, and equipment. The sites include facilities in Palawan, near the South China Sea, and in Cagayan, near Taiwan.
No further details on the specific state of development were disclosed. The progress signals that joint US-Philippine operational capability — intended not only for disaster response but also with an eye toward potential Chinese military activity around the South China Sea and Taiwan — is moving into an implementation phase.
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