US allots more than $100 million for

MANILA — The United States has now allotted more than $100 million for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday, April 19.

DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo said the U.S. pledged another $18 million on top of the initial $82 million for EDCA during the recent 2+2 ministerial meeting between Manila and Washington.

“To date, the U.S. allocated a total of over 100 million U.S. dollars to EDCA projects, including additional 18 million U.S. Dollars announced during the third 2+2 ministerial dialogue last weekend in Washington,” Manalo said during an inquiry of the Senate Commnittee on Foreign Relations.

“This would cover projects in both existing and new agreed locations,” he added.

Currently, there are five existing 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