Philippine and United States officials will visit three Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites Wednesday before the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board Meeting (MDB-SEB) meeting on Thursday.

Lt. Col. Gil Ileto, AFP Public Affairs Office Chief said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. with US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, and Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral John Aquilino, will visit the EDCA sites in Lal-lo Airport and Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; and Basa Air Base, Pampanga.

"The visit to the EDCA sites is a prelude to the upcoming Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting scheduled to be held at Camp Aguinaldo on September 14, 2023," he said.

"These activities underscore the continued partnership and collaboration between the Philippines and United States militaries in enhancing national defense capabilities, as well as the shared commitment to regional security and disaster response efforts," he added.

Ileto said during the visit "the leaders, accompanied by high-ranking AFP and US Armed Forces officers, will conduct an extensive tour of the completed EDCA projects at Basa Air Base."

"The tour will also provide an opportunity for the senior military officials to gain firsthand knowledge of the bases' potential for the development of key facilities to support Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) operations and modernization priorities of the AFP," he added.

Ileto noted that Brawner and Aquilino’s visit to EDCA sites "signifies the commitment of both AFP and US Armed Forces to further strengthen its cooperation, ensuring that both militaries are prepared and well-equipped to respond to evolving security challenges and humanitarian crises".

"The AFP looks forward to sharing insights from this visit and the MDB-SEB meeting, which together contribute to the enduring partnership between the two nations," he said. Robina Asido/DMS