3 Phl military sites eyed for US facilities

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista wants Oyster Bay in Palawan, Naval Station San Miguel in Zambales, and Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija to host US military facilities to be built under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Bautista said these military sites must be developed to accommodate training activities and military assets.

“These are our traditional training areas,” he said.

“We need to develop Fort Magsaysay to be a world class training facility not just for our armed forces but also for our training with our allies.

“This is also true for (Naval Station) San Miguel in Zambales. Oyster Bay is still underdeveloped, but we need to improve Oyster Bay for our armed forces. Perhaps with the EDCA, that can be facilitated.”

He was just stating his personal preferences as the sites for EDCA are still being finalized, he added.

Bautista said the development of Oyster Bay is important as it provides access to disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea.

“It is easier for us to support our patrols in the West Philippines Sea, and it allows us to address the issues and threats in the West Philippines Sea,” he said.

Oyster Bay is located beside Ulugan Bay in Puerto Princesa City, where the headquarters of the Naval Forces West is located.

However, Bautista said the pier and some support facilities in Oyster Bay  are “not that good yet.”

“We need to improve the pier,” he said. “We need to improve living facilities and support facilities. Well, we have allocated funding for that. Maybe not enough if we want to develop it to be a real base for our navy or bilateral exercises.” 

Bautista said a big US aircraft might be able to land on the air strip in Fort Magsaysay.

“They may help us in that respect, to develop that airport or airstrip,” he said. “It benefits both of us. It allows us to have more activities, more training activities.” 

The government has allotted P500 million to develop the Ulugan Bay facilities, including P313-million to improve the pier, harbor and support facilities at Oyster Bay.

Naval Station San Miguel  is a former US military facility located in San Antonio, Zambales.

It now hosts the Philippine Navy’s Naval Education and Training Command.

It is about 134 nautical miles from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, an area within the Philippines’ continental shelf under Chinese occupation since 2012.

Reports said military facilities would also be constructed in Subic, which hosted a US naval base until 1991.

US officials are reportedly talking with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to thresh out the details of the project.

EDCA permits the US to build facilities and store defense equipment in mutually-agreed upon Philippine military bases.