General Brawner Jr., CSAFP, welcomes General Flynn, Commanding General of the US Army Pacific, during the latter’s office call on April 30, 2024. Photo from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

By Manuel Mogato | Date 06-19-2024

MANILA — The Philippines has requested the United States to fund at least 14 infrastructure projects in the four new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in northern Luzon and the southern Palawan area, an Army colonel said.

The Army colonel familiar with the request said these projects include the construction of barracks, warehouses, ammunition and fuel storage, hangars, airstrips, and piers, all crucial for enhancing the country’s defense capacity and capability.

“These EDCA sites are strategic chokepoints,” said an Army colonel who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. (Also read: US may grant the Philippines $1 billion in military aid next year)

“We could not only monitor movements of foreign vessels in these two designated sea lanes of communications but also control these areas when a conflict erupts. The president has ordered the Armed Forces to prepare for a potential external threat as the Philippines lies close to Taiwan, a target for China’s invasion.” (Also read: China, US, PH closely watching Taiwan’s new leader)

US President Joe Biden has already requested the US Congress to allocate $128 million for next year’s budget for these construction projects. The funding was announced in April during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visit to Washington.

The Army colonel said the Philippines had already submitted the request early this year. Still, General Romeo Brawner had reminded the new Indo-Pacific commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, about the request when they met informally at the annual IISS Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore.

“The control of these vital sea lanes is important as we observed China’s increasing activities in these areas,” he said, noting the frequent passage of Chinese warships in the sea lanes.

“Our priority is constructing a pier and improving an airstrip in Sta. Ana town, Cagayan,” the Army colonel said. “The small naval base in Sta. Ana will be made into a mini-Subic base, an operating base for Philippine and US Navies, close to the volatile Taiwan Straits.

He said the Philippine military has also requested the US to help hasten the port and airstrip construction in Balabac in Palawan and the upgrading of an air base in Lal-lo, also in Cagayan. The infrastructure projects in Balabac were jointly funded by the defense and public works and highways department. 

“We need more equipment and materials to make the air bases in Lal-lo and Balabac operational,” he said, adding that the priorities are landing lights for night-time operations, radars, and other navigational aids.

Meanwhile. the US has already committed an initial $88 million for improvement and new construction in the five existing EDCA locations. An additional $12 million was also committed, the Army colonel said.

The bulk of the funds, about $67 million, went to Basa Air Base in Pampanga to improve the runway, fuel storage, warehouses for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), hangars, and plane parking areas.

“The extension, resurfacing of the airstrip, and other improvements cost the US about $25 million,” he added.

About $12 million went to Fort Magsaysay in Laur town, Nueva Ecija for command and control structures, warehouses, hangars, parking for aircraft, and an urban warfare training center. 

Recently, the US Army’s Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X), a state-of-the-art training system, helped develop a local Combat Readiness Training Are (CRTA) for the Salaknib drills.

Smaller allocation went to Lunbia air base in northern Mindanao ($4 million), Mactan air base ($3 million), and Palawan air base ($2 million). The funds were used for ammunition and fuel storage facilities, hangars, runway lightings, and command and control centers.

The Army colonel said bigger funding is needed for the four additional EDCA  sites because “we are building from scratch and we hope to turn these facilities into operational bases.”