Washington has so far invested over $82 million to develop projects across the existing five locations in Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Palawan, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro.
The planned EDCA sites in Cagayan in the northern Philippines are near Taiwan, which is the center of heated tension between the US and China. China claims that the self-ruled Taiwan is part of its territory but the United States committed to protect Taiwan in case of an invasion.
The Philippines has pulled off a diplomatic U-turn, reviving its traditional defence ties with Washington years after spurning it in favour of Beijing.
MANILA: The Philippines has pulled off a diplomatic U-turn, reviving its traditional defence ties with Washington years after spurning it in favour of Beijing.