US, PH agree to...

Galvez, however, did not divulge the location of the four new sites as coordination with the local government units (LGU) in the said areas are still ongoing.

“We withhold the announcement of the EDCA sites because our protocols and also our diplomatic notes have not been completed. So we need to complete all the staff work, including our consultations with the LGUs,” Galvez said in a press conference.

The Edca was signed in 2014 to address Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea and respond to natural disasters.

But it can be recalled that military officials has already previously identified Zambales, Cagayan, Isabela, and Palawan as possible sites. The sites are notable since it faces China and Taiwan.

Furthermore, the United States has allocated over $82 million for infrastructure investments at the existing five sites under the EDCA, according to the DND.

Currently, there are five predetermined Edca sites located at Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, which is closest to the Kalayaan Group of Islands; Basa Air Base in Pampanga, the home of the Philippine Air Force’s fighter planes; Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, the country’s largest military camp and a frequent location of PhilippineUS military exercises, MactanBenito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu