MANILA: Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said there has only been “marginal” use of Philippine bases accessible to the United States military due to unresolved land issues. Treaty allies the Philippines and the United States operate under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows a rotational presence of U.S. forces at Philippine bases without establishing permanent bases. In 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expanded the number of accessible bases to nine, including locations facing Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Teodoro said development of these sites has been delayed, noting that some bases still lack an air force presence.“The use of the EDCA sites has been marginal because we still have to settle land and tenurial issues,” he said, adding that slow project execution has contributed to the delays.
The remarks come as joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States are underway. The annual Balikatan drills, running from April 20 to May 8, are the largest so far, with participation from New Zealand, Canada, Japan, France and Australia.
