Castro: $100 million investment not enough for all nine EDCA sites

Posted to CNN Philippines (Apr 13, 2023): Castro: $100 million investment not enough for all nine EDCA sites (By CNN Philippines Staff)

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 13) — The United States’ plan to allocate $100 million worth of infrastructure investments is not enough to cover the nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the Philippines, a lawmaker said on Thursday.

“This is a very little amount considering na nine sites 'yan… Kasi gagamit ‘yan ng ating facilities, gagamit sila nung ating kuryente, etc.,” ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro told CNN Philippines’ The Source. [Translation: This is a very little amount considering there are nine sites. They will use our facilities, electricity, etc.]

In a joint briefing on Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said Washington is expecting “to have allocated more than $100 million in infrastructure investments" at all EDCA sites in the Philippines by the end of 2023. He noted such investments will "spur job creations and economic growth in local Philippine communities."

There are currently nine EDCA locations in the country, following the addition of new ones in Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana town, Cagayan; the Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo town, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu town, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan.

Castro maintained that the EDCA sites pose threats to the country’s sovereignty.

These also do not lead to any advantage for the Philippines, she noted.

While authorities say the establishment of EDCA sites will help improve the skills of Filipino troops, nothing has really happened for the past years as the Armed Forces of the Philippines remain inferior, Castro pointed out.

She also does not see that the EDCA sites, as well as the Balikatan exercises, will benefit Filipino fishermen since these will only hinder fisherfolk from doing their job.

"''Yung sinasabi nila na maprotektahan 'yung territorial waters natin... in the past naman wala rin namang nangyari doon sa ginagawa ng China against our fishermen," she added. [Translation: When they said this is to protect our territorial waters, in the past nothing has also been done with regards to China's harassment of our fishermen.]

[Retired Analyst Note: The ACT Party List is a political front of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The party is a political spin-off from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) sectoral front that is a member of the main CPP umbrella multi-sectoral front Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-New Patriotic Alliance).  Furthermore, the ACT Party-list itself is a member of the CPP's umbrella political coalition the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (MAKABAYAN-Patriotic Coalition of the People). These fronts routinely engage in anti-US/US military disinformation/propaganda activities. They oppose any US military presence in the Philippines and rail against RP-US military exercises such as Balikatan]

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/4/13/Castro-US-investment-for-EDCA-sites.html