U.S. Military Role in the Philippines

Manila – The recently announced agreement will allow the US to rotate soldiers to a total of nine bases in the Philippines under an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that was signed in 2014.

In recent months, the US has increased attempts to broaden its security options in the Indo-Pacific as concerns over China’s assertive territorial behavior in the region have grown.

US Defense Secretary Llyod Austin said the US and the Philippines were dedicated to bolstering bilateral relations while in Manila on Thursday.