US Army to fund construction of civilian port in Batanes
A United States Army funded civilian seaport to be constructed in an Island province facing Taiwan will be later transferred to the local government of Batanes, a military official said on Tuesday.
"These are all ultimately turned over to the local government units and it happens not only in, it will happen not only in the Northern Islands, it has happened even in other areas that we have had exercises with foreign countries," Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said in an interview with reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
Early this month, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said aside from Palawan, Batanes is one of the venues of this year's Balikatan exercise between the US and Philippine military forces.
Trinidad explained that the military exercises with foreign forces include the exercise related constructions to help the local community in the area.
"Exercises with foreign counterparts are also designed to improve our capability and part of this we have what we call exercise related constructions to be able to assist foreign forces and our local forces, more importantly it will capacitate the local community that hosts the exercise," he said.
"Any development of the exercises conducted in the Northern islands are primarily for use by the locals. These are joint or multi use primarily for the fisherfolks. this could be for any eventuality during a crisis, typhoons, (humanitarian assistance and disaster response) HADR," he added.
In a Philippine Navy event over the weekend, Batanes Gov. Marilou Cayco said that the US Army would arrive in April to further discuss the plan that aims to help Filipino workers in the event of a crisis in Taiwan.
On the other hand, Trinidad also noted that "the Philippine Navy and the armed forces are always preparing for any eventuality across the spectrum of conflict from peace, to crisis to wartime."
Although the seaport will be funded by the US Army, Trinidad assures that the regular presence of foreign troops in the country is not allowed. Robina Asido/DMS
