Construction of Edca projects in Isabela may begin by yearend or early 2024
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. during a chance interview in Gamu, Isabela. (INQUIRER.net / John Eric Mendoza)
ISABELA, Philippines — The construction of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) projects in an Isabela military camp may begin before the end of the year or early next year, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said here on Tuesday.
Teodoro inspected the locations in Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu town where the new maintenance bay for military hardware, vertical landing pad for helicopters, two warehouses, a training area and simulation center will soon rise.
The first phase of the project will see the construction of a vertical landing pad and one of the warehouses, while the second phase of the consists of the new maintenance bay, training area, simulation center, and the other warehouses.
“Isabela is a strategic food basket and the welfare of the people here is really important to us and the welfare of infrastructure here which we need to protect against the internal security threats and against perhaps even subversion of foreign elements by using internal security elements,” Teodoro said in a chance interview before the inspection of the sites.
Teodoro also noted that Isabela has a long coastline, the protection of which is crucial for the country’s national security.
Teodoro is on a mission to visit all of the Edca sites in the country to oversee its development.
The Edca sites in Gamu and Lal-lo is among the four new Edca sites approved by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The two new Edca sites are in Sta. Ana town in Cagayan and Balabac, Palawan.
There are also five Edca sites located in Palawan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City.
The Edca sites are inside the Philippine military bases in which the United States’ forces are allowed to rotate and store defense equipment and supplies.
