April 3, 2023 |
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Arrangement (EDCA) between the US and the Philippines includes four new sites: Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; Balabac Island in Palawan; and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan.
The five other operating bases dating to 2016:
Antonio Bautista Air Base. Located near the capital of the island province of Palawan, near the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
Basa Air Base. Located about 40 miles northwest of Manila, it was originally constructed by the U.S. Army Air Corps before the Second World War.
Fort Magsaysay. Located on the northern Island of Luzon, Fort Magsaysay is the largest military installation in the Philippines and is one of the primary training areas of the Philippine Army.
Lumbia Air Base. Located on the southern island of Mindanao, the air base is connected to a civilian airport.
Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base. Located on Mactan Island of the coast of Cebu in the central Philippines, it was originally built by the U.S. Air Force before the American pullout in the early 1990s.