US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral John Aquilino (left) and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. approach the press for an interview after their annual meeting. Photo from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States agreed on more projects inside the nine existing Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites.
US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral John Christopher Aquilino revealed this on Thursday after the meeting of the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board in Camp Aguinaldo also led by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr.
“We have increased the number of projects in the already approved sites, we have gone from 32 [and] added 63 others,” Aquilino said in a press conference after the meeting.
“[The] United States has identified investment of almost a hundred and ten million dollars to those sites,” he added.
Malacañang in April announced the approval of four new Edca sites in Gamu, Isabela; Lal-lo and Sta. Ana town in Cagayan; and Balabac, Palawan.
READ: China: New Edca sites to ‘seriously harm’ PH
Meanwhile, there are also existing 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.