Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday said an upgrade is being eyed for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) location in Cagayan which serves as a refueling site for the aircraft of the United States and the Philippines.
Teodoro saw for himself that the aircraft fuel in Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo town, Cagayan is still being delivered in 55-gallon drums.
“The lesson here is, we need to fast track the construction for this Philippine base with Edca facilities so that we could preposition equipment, air assets, not only of the Philippine Air Force but the United States’ Air Force, Teodoro said, partly in Filipino in a chance interview during his visit at the said Edca location.
“As you can see, they are still using barrels to deliver fuel for both Philippine and United States’ air assets. We need to build more facilities to increase our operational tempo,” Teodoro also told reporters.
Lal-lo Airport is among the four new Edca sites approved by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The other sites were in Sta. Ana town in Cagayan; Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac, Palawan.
The sites in Cagayan and Isabela are relatively close to Taiwan, earning the ire of China which regards the self-rule island a renegade province subject to reunification.
There are also five Edca sites located in Palawan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City.
Under Edca, United States’ forces are allowed to rotate and store defense equipment and supplies inside the nine Philippine military bases as part of the Mutual Defense Treaty between two countries.