Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, one of the nine EDCA locations. Photo: Ralff Nestor Nacor / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
There are nine EDCA sites in the Philippines: Antonio Bautista Air Base (Palawan), Basa Air Base (Pampanga), Fort Magsaysay (Nueva Ecija), Lumbia Airport (Cagayan de Oro), Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base (Cebu), Naval Base Camilo Osias and Lal-lo Airport (Cagayan), Camp Melchor Dela Cruz (Isabela) and Balabac Island (Palawan). Five were agreed in March 2016 and four more were announced on April 3, 2023 (Rappler fact check).
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014, allows U.S. forces rotational access to agreed locations inside Philippine military facilities. It permits joint training, the prepositioning of equipment and the construction of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it does not create a permanent U.S. presence (Reuters).
Which are the nine EDCA sites?
Original five (2016):
- Antonio Bautista Air Base, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
- Basa Air Base, Floridablanca, Pampanga
- Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija
- Lumbia Airport, Cagayan de Oro
- Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, Cebu
Added in 2023:
- Naval Base Camilo Osias, Santa Ana, Cagayan
- Lal-lo Airport, Lal-lo, Cagayan
- Camp Melchor Dela Cruz, Gamu, Isabela
- Balabac Island, Palawan
The Philippine government said the four 2023 locations were assessed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as suitable and mutually beneficial (PIA). Reuters reported that the new sites face Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea islands.
What does EDCA allow U.S. forces to do?
The sites are Philippine-provided facilities. The Philippines retains sovereignty over them and Philippine law applies. U.S. forces may preposition and store defense equipment, supplies and materiel there, and U.S. personnel have access for related management and maintenance (Supreme Court decision on EDCA).
Is EDCA constitutional?
Yes, according to the Supreme Court. On January 12, 2016, it upheld EDCA as a valid executive agreement, ruling that U.S. troop entry was already authorized under the Visiting Forces Agreement (Rappler).
Are EDCA sites used for disaster response?
Yes. In July 2025, the AFP said all nine EDCA sites were activated as hubs for disaster response and prepositioned assets during severe weather (Daily Tribune). Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief was one of the reasons the Philippine government gave for the 2023 expansion.
How does EDCA fit into the U.S.-Philippines alliance?
EDCA sits alongside the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement. The 2023 Bilateral Defense Guidelines state that an armed attack in the Pacific, including anywhere in the South China Sea, on either country’s armed forces, coast guards, aircraft or public vessels would invoke the treaty’s mutual defense commitments (CRS, March 2026). The Trump administration has reaffirmed that commitment; see our report on Trump’s second term and the West Philippine Sea.
The sites matter because of what is happening at sea. Read our coverage of the blocked Ayungin resupply in September 2026, China’s drills near Scarborough Shoal and the AFP-PNP-PCG cyber plan for the West Philippine Sea.
Frequently asked questions
How many EDCA sites are there?
Nine: five agreed in 2016 and four announced in 2023.
Are EDCA sites U.S. bases?
No. They are Philippine military facilities where U.S. forces have rotational access. The Philippines keeps sovereignty and Philippine law applies.
Which EDCA sites are closest to the West Philippine Sea?
Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa and Balabac Island are both in Palawan, the province facing the West Philippine Sea.
When was EDCA signed?
In 2014. The Supreme Court upheld it on January 12, 2016.
Featured photo: Basa Air Base, Floridablanca, Pampanga. Ralff Nestor Nacor / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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