President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. lauded on Monday the contribution of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the government’s response to the series of typhoons in the country.
During the courtesy call of United States (US) Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin IlI in Malacañan Palace, President Marcos cited the importance of EDCA sites in the country.
“I would like to point out and remind everyone how important the EDCA sites have become in all our HADR (Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Response) attempts in this this last few [weeks]. We have been hit with [what is] now referred to as the KLMNOP series of typhoons,” the President said.
KLMNOP stands for the six consecutive typhoons that hit the country in the last several weeks.
“Six typhoons in about less than four weeks. We were able to do a better job than we would have done otherwise because of the EDCA sites,” he added.
EDCA is an agreement designed to boost security cooperation between US and the Philippines by allowing rotational presence of US troops in ‘agreed locations’ in the country.
This agreement was seen to further PH disaster response as the locations may be used for humanitarian and relief operations during emergencies and natural disasters.
According to the President, EDCA sites served as “staging areas” for the government’s preparatory measures, including the prepositioning of supplies and assets.
“EDCA sites have become the staging area because right after the storm, many areas can only be reached by helicopter. And many roads closed because of landslides. And therefore, even the main capital of provinces can only be reached by aircraft,” the president said.
“So, we have used to a great extent the EDCA sites. I just like to remind everyone on the wisdom behind that and how it has become so extremely useful in the face of these effects of climate change,” he added.
There are currently nine EDCA sites in the country including Basa Air Base in Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City; Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan; Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu; Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana in Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport also in Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu in Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan. | PND
