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EnhancedDefenseCooperationAgreement
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheEnhancedDefenseCooperationAgreement(EDCA)isan
agreementbetweentheUnitedStatesandthePhilippines EnhancedDefenseCooperation
intendedtobolstertheU.S.Philippinealliance.Theagreement Agreement
allowstheUnitedStatestorotatetroopsintothePhilippinesfor AgreementBetweentheRepublicofthe
extendedstaysandallowstheU.S.tobuildandoperatefacilities
PhilippinesandTheGovernmentofthe
onPhilippinebases,forbothAmericanandPhilippineforces.[1] UnitedStatesonEnhancedDefense
TheU.S.isnotallowedtoestablishanypermanentmilitary
Cooperation
bases.[2]ItalsogivesPhilippinepersonnelaccesstoAmerican
Signed April28,2014
shipsandplanes.[1]
Location Manila,Philippines
TheEDCAisasupplementalagreementtothepreviousVisiting Parties Philippines
ForcesAgreement.TheagreementwassignedbyPhilippine
UnitedStates
DefenseSecretaryVoltaireGazminandU.S.Ambassadortothe
Language English
PhilippinesPhilipGoldberginManilaonApril28,2014.[3]On
January12,2016,thePhilippineSupremeCourtupheldthe
agreement'sconstitutionalityina104vote.[4]OnJuly26,2016,thePhilippineSupremeCourtruledwithfinality
thattheagreementisconstitutional.[5]

EvanMedeiros,theU.S.NationalSecurityCouncilsseniordirectorforAsianaffairswasquotedinthe
WashingtonPostassaying,"Thisisthemostsignificantdefenseagreementthatwehaveconcludedwiththe
Philippinesindecades."[6]

Contents
1 Background
2 Summaryoftheagreement
2.1 Agreedlocations
3 Seealso
4 References
5 Externallinks

Background
Formorethanacentury,thePhilippineshasbeenimportanttoAmericandefensestrategy.Currently,the
Philippinesisa"majornonNATOally"oftheUnitedStates.[6]

TheU.S.acquiredthePhilippinesfromSpainaftertheSpanishAmericanWarof1898andthenfoughtthe
PhilippineAmericanWaragainstPhilippinerevolutionariestosecuretheirrule.Afterbothwars,thePhilippines
wasaterritoryoftheUnitedStatesfrom1898to1946.TheUnitedStatesgrantedthePhilippinesindependencein
1946.[7]

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TheMutualDefenseTreatywassignedin1951andratifiedin1952bythegovernmentsoftheUnitedStatesand
thePhilippines.ThepurposeoftheTreatywasto"strengthenthefabricofpeace"inthePacific,byformally
adoptinganagreementtodefendeachother'sterritoryinthecaseofexternalattack.[8]Inlinewiththistreaty,the
UnitedStatesmaintainedseveralmilitarybasesinthePhilippines,includingSubicBayNavalBaseandtheClark
AirBase.In1992,thebasescloseafterthePhilippineSenaterejectedatreatythatwouldextendthebases'leaseby
aclosevote.ThetreatywasrejectedbecauseofU.S.reluctancetosetafirmtimeframefortroopwithdrawaland
toguaranteethatnonuclearweaponswouldpassthroughthebase.[9]

ThePhilippinesUnitedStatesVisitingForcesAgreement(VFA)wassignedbythegovernmentsofthePhilippines
andtheUnitedStatesin1998,andcameintoeffectin1999.Thiswasthefirstmilitaryagreementsincetheclosing
ofU.S.basesin1992.TheVFAoutlinedasetofguidelinesfortheconductandprotectionofAmericantroops
visitingthePhilippines.TheAgreementalsostipulatedthetermsandconditionsforAmericanmilitarytopass
throughorlandinPhilippineterritory.TheVFAisareciprocalagreementinthatnotonlydoesitoutlinethe
guidelinesforU.S.troopsvisitingthePhilippinesbutalsoforPhilippinetroopsvisitingtheUnitedStates.[10]

ThesigningoftheVFAledtotheestablishmentofannualbilateralmilitaryexercisesbetweentheU.S.andthe
PhilippineknownasBalikatan,aswellasavarietyofothercooperativemeasures.[11]TheBalikatantraining
exercises("shouldertoshoulder")areannualmilitaryexercisesbetweentheU.S.andthePhilippines.Theyare
structuredtomaintainanddevelopthesecurityrelationshipbetweenthetwocountries'armedforcesthroughcrisis
actionplanning,enhancedtrainingtoconductcounterterrorismoperations,andpromotinginteroperabilityofthe
forces.[12]

OvertheyearstheexerciseshaveexpandedtoincludesurroundingothercountriesinSoutheastAsia.Thetrainings
havealsohadashiftingfocus.DuringtheU.S.led"WaronTerror"theannualBalikatanExercisesfocusedon
trainingforcounterterrorismmissions.[12]Therehasbeensomecontroversyovertheseexercisesagrowing
numberofPhilippinepeopleareangryoverthecontinuedpresenceofU.S.troopsinthePhilippines.[13]

Disasterreliefandcrisisresponsehassincebecomeanimportantfocusof
theU.S.PhilippinesecurityrelationshipespeciallyfollowingTyphoon
Haiyan(Yolanda),andisakeyimpetusoftheEDCAagreement.The
UnitedStatesMarineswereamongthefirsttoarriveinthePhilippinesafter
thedevastatingtyphoonhitthePhilippinesonNovember8,2013.Atthe
immediaterequestofthePhilippinegovernment,U.S.andinternational
reliefagenciesarrivedthreedaysafterthestormtoprovideaidand
assistancetothethousandsofinjuredandhomeless.[14]TheUnitedStates
governmentprovidedover$37millioninaid.[15] USmarinesassistinTyphoonHaiyan
reliefefforts,November2013
Summaryoftheagreement
AccordingtoAmbassadorGoldberg,thegoaloftheEDCAisto"promotepeaceandsecurityintheregion."While
outliningnewdefensecooperationmeasures,theagreementalsoallowsfortheUnitedStatestorespondmore
quicklytoenvironmentalandhumanitariandisastersintheregion.[16]

Designedtosupplementthe1951MutualDefenseTreatyandthe1999VisitingForcesAgreement,theEDCA
reaffirmsmutualcooperationbetweentheUnitedStatesandthePhilippinestodeveloptheirindividualand
collectivecapacitiestoresistarmedattackby:improvinginteroperabilityofthetwocountry'sarmedforces,
promotinglongtermmodernization,helpingmaintainanddevelopmaritimesecurity,andexpandinghumanitarian
assistanceinresponsetonaturaldisasters.[17]

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TheagreementallowsforU.S.forcesandcontractorstooperateoutof"agreedlocations,"whicharedefinedas:
"facilitiesandareasthatareprovidedbytheGovernmentofthePhilippinesthroughtheArmedForcesofthe
Philippines(AFP)andthatUnitedStatesforces,UnitedStatescontractors,andothersasmutuallyagreed".[17]The
Agreementhandsoveralloperationalcontrolsofthese"AgreedLocations"totheUnitedStates,andallowsU.S.
forcestoprepositionandstoredefensemateriel,equipment,andsupplies.TheAgreementmakesclearthatthis
materielcannotincludenuclearweapons.

TheEDCAiseffectiveforaninitialperiodoftenyears,andthereafter,itshallcontinueinforceautomatically
unlessterminatedbyeitherPartybygivingoneyear'swrittennoticethroughdiplomaticchannelsofitsintentionto
terminatetheagreement(ArticleXII,Sec.4ofEDCA).WhiletheUSforcesmayexerciseoperationalcontrol,put
troopsandequipment,constructfacilities,andbeaccommodatedincertainagreedlocations,thePhilippinesshall
stillretainownershipoftheagreedlocations(ArticleV,Sec.1ofEDCA).Importantly,theUnitedStatesisnot
allowedtoestablishanypermanentmilitarybases,andmusthandoveranyandallfacilitiesinthe"agreed
locations"tothePhilippinegovernmentupontheterminationoftheagreement.[18]

TheagreementalsostipulatesthattheU.S.isnotallowedtostoreorpositionanynuclearweaponsonPhilippine
territory.[2]

Agreedlocations

InApril2015,theUnitedStatesGovernmentaskedforaccesstoeightbasesinthePhilippines,includingthe
formerlyAmericanSubicBayNavalBaseandClarkAirBase,aswellasbasesonCebu,Luzon,andPalawan.[19]

OnMarch19,2016,thePhilippinesandtheUnitedStatesgovernmentagreedonthe5locationsofmilitarybases
fortheAmericantroopsundertheEDCA:AntonioBautistaAirBase(Palawan),BasaAirBase(Pampanga),Fort
Magsaysay(NuevaEcija),LumbiaAirport(CagayandeOro),BenitoEbuenAirBase(Mactan,Cebu).[20]

Seealso
Balikatan
MutualDefenseTreaty(U.S.Philippines)

References
1.Dizon,Nikko 2.PhilippineDepartment 3.Guinto,JoelTalev, 5.Merueas,Mark(July
(December13,2015). ofForeignAffairs, MargaretMattingly, 26,2016)."It'sfinal:
"Filipinosasked:Who "Q&Aonthe Phil(April28,2014). SCaffirmslegalityof
doyouwantonyour EnhancedDefense "U.S.,PhilippinesSign EDCA" .GMA
side?" .Philippine Cooperation DefensePactAmid News.Retrieved
DailyInquirer. Agreement"(http://ww ChinaTensions" . July26,2016.
Retrieved w.gov.ph/2014/04/28/q BloombergL.P.
December13,2015. naontheenhanceddef RetrievedJanuary14,
ensecooperationagree 2016.
ment/) Official 4.Postrado,Leonard
Gazette,April28, (January13,2016).
2014 "EDCAprevails" .
ManilaBulletin.
RetrievedJanuary14,
2016.

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6.JulietEilperin,"U.S., 9.DavidE.Sanger, 13.SandyAraneta, 17."Document:Enhanced

Philippinestosign10
yeardefenseagreement
amidrisingtensions"
(http://www.washingto
npost.com/world/usph
ilippinestosign10ye
ardefenseagreementa
midrisingtensions/20
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f11e3a75e46358789
1b57_story.html)
TheWashingtonPost,
April28,2014
7."Philippines:A
CountryStudy"(http://
lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/p
htoc.html) Federal
ResearchDivision,
U.S.Libraryof
Congress
8.TheAvalonProject,
"MutualDefense
TreatyBetweenthe
UnitedStatesandthe
Republicofthe
PhilippinesAugust
30,1951"(http://avalo
n.law.yale.edu/20th_ce
ntury/phil001.asp)
YaleLawSchool,
LillianGoldmanLaw
Library
"PhilippinesOrders
U.S.toLeaveStrategic
NavyBaseatSubic
Bay"(http://www.nyti
mes.com/1991/12/28/w
orld/philippinesorders
ustoleavestrategicn
avybaseatsubicbay.
html) TheNew
YorkTimes,December
28,1991
10."VisitingForces
Agreement"(http://ww
w.state.gov/documents/
organization/107852.pd
f) U.S.Department
ofState,1998
11."FrequentlyAsked
Questions:Visiting
ForcesAgreement"(htt
p://www.vfacom.ph/co
ntent/article/FAQs)
Presidential
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12.CampGeneralEmilio
Aguinaldo,"PHUS
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StartinMay"(http://w
ww.afp.mil.ph/index.p
hp?option=com_conten
t&view=article&id=11
3%3Aphusbalikatan
exercisestostartinm
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81) ArmedForces
ofthePhilippine,April
21,2014
"Studentactivists DefenseCooperation
protestingBalikatan Agreement"(http://ww
defaceUSembassy w.gov.ph/2014/04/29/d
seal"(http://www.phils ocumentenhanceddefe
tar.com/headlines/7974 nsecooperationagree
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14.MarineCorpsStaff Cooperation
Sgt.KennethLewis, Agreement" .
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Philippines"(http://ww (Philippines).April28,
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95) U.S. 19."USseeksaccessto
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11,2013 SydneyMorning
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ResponsetoTyphoon Reuters.April25,
Haiyan"(http://www.w 2015.Retrieved
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soffice/2013/11/19/fac 20."US,Philippinesagree
tsheetusresponsetyp on5baselocations
hoonhaiyan) The underEDCA" .The
WhiteHouse, PhilippineStar.March
November19,2013 20,2016.Retrieved
16.AnkitPanda,"US March22,2016.
PhilippinesEnhanced
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'PivottoAsia'"(http://t
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Diplomat,April29,
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Externallinks
Fulltextof"Document:EnhancedDefenseCooperationAgreement"(http://www.gov.ph/2014/04/29/docum
entenhanceddefensecooperationagreement/) onPhilippineGovernment'sOfficialGazetteatgov.ph.
Q&AonEnhancedDefenseCooperationAgreement(http://www.gov.ph/2014/04/28/qnaontheenhanced
defensecooperationagreement/) onPhilippineGovernment'sOfficialGazetteatgov.ph.

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Categories: MilitaryalliancesinvolvingthePhilippines MilitaryalliancesinvolvingtheUnitedStates

HistoryoftheUnitedStates(1991present) UnitedStatesmilitaryinthePhilippines
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