During the administration of Benigno Aquino III, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) was signed in 2014, allowing the construction of U.S. “military facilities” in five “agreed locations” across the country. This agreement is even worse than the old RP-US Military Bases Agreement, which limited U.S. bases to Subic and Clark, along with a few smaller installations elsewhere.
Under EDCA, the U.S. was allowed to camp and develop its own bases within Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan de Oro, Antonio Bautista Airbase in Puerto Princesa, and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu. Not only is the U.S. not required to pay for the use of these facilities, the agreement also allows them to request access to other locations anywhere in the country. A superficial justification for EDCA was its supposed role in maximizing these facilities for disaster response—but this claim masks its true military purpose.
Under the Marcos Jr. administration, four more EDCA sites were added: Camilo Osias Naval Base in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan. Three of these are in Northern Luzon—dangerously close to Taiwan, a flashpoint in U.S.-China tensions. With the rotational deployment of troops at every EDCA site, the presence of American soldiers on Philippine soil has become almost permanent.
YACAP stands in solidarity with the Filipino people in protest of the 2025 Balikatan Military Exercises, which begin today.
This year’s Balikatan includes a “full battle test simulation.” Japan will officially participate, following the signing of the Philippines–Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) in 2024. According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Colombia are sending observers, while the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the Australian Defense Force will take part in the activities.
Also featured is the littoral rotational force, developed by the U.S. after three years of training in Luzon—enabled by a U.S. Marine warehouse in Subic for storing military equipment. This is being branded as the “island-to-island fight of the future,” aligned with their “island-hopping strategy.” Military drills now occur year-round. Apart from Balikatan, there is Salaknib, launched in 2016, conducted between the Philippine Army and the U.S. Army. This year, 5,000 soldiers are participating.
Climate Imperialism: The U.S. Military as a Major Polluter
The United States is historically the largest carbon emitter. Its military-industrial complex consumes fossil fuels and pollutes the atmosphere at alarming rates. If the Pentagon were a country, it would rank as the 55th largest emitter of CO₂ globally. The U.S. Department of Defense is the single largest institutional consumer of petroleum in the world.
The continued expansion of U.S. forces in the Philippines threatens not only our national sovereignty, but also the survival of our planet. U.S. imperial might stands in direct opposition to climate justice, to social justice, and to a livable future.
Attacks on Climate Protectors
Activists are being harassed, murdered, and labeled “terrorists.” Environmental defenders such as Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo de Jesus have been abducted and remain missing, up until today. While authorities promise “national protection” and improved defense, VFA-EDCA and similar treaties only deepen our dependence on the U.S. These are not in the interest of the Philippines or the Filipino people—they pull us into wars we did not start and do not benefit from. Building more U.S. military bases in our country is part of inter-imperialist competition, where global powers seek to maintain dominance at the expense of local communities and ecosystems.
We Need Peace, Not War!
Now, more than ever, we must chart our own course and develop a self-reliant economy to protect our islands, our waters, and our people. Only by resisting the meaningless violence of imperialist war and the military-industrial complex can we achieve climate justice.
We demand an independent foreign policy and an end to climate imperialism.
We do not need wars. We need justice. We need peace.
Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines 