The Philippine national government under the administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III released the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) document on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.
Based upon the EDCA document, it allows American soldiers greater access to military bases in the Philippines. The agreement was signed on Monday morning, April 28, 2014, ahead of the two-day state visit of United States President Barrack Obama.
President Barrack Obama already ended his four-nation Asian tour with last stop in the Philippines, the US longest ally in its International Mutual Defense Treaty.
The President of the United States, Pres. Barrack Obama was quoted as saying “Under our new agreement, American forces can begin rotating through Filipino airfields and ports. We’ll train and exercise together more to bring our militaries even closer, and to support your efforts to strengthen your armed forces. We’ll improve our ability to respond even faster to disasters like Yolanda,” Obama said on Tuesday, a day after the historic signing of EDCA.
The EDCA is an agreement between the Philippines and the United States which is envisioned to advance the implementation of the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
Here’s the complete Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) Document: