The United States and the Philippines on Monday signed a 10-year Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) as one of the highlights of the two-day visit of US President Barack Obama in the country.

The pact, which allows the United States military greater access to Philippine territory, was signed two hours prior to the arrival of Obama in Manila for the last leg of his seven-day, four-country Asian tour. 

Like Us on Facebook

The pact provides rotational presence by US troops through the Philippines with wide access to Philippine military facilities including bases, airfields and ports, which will remain under the control of the Philippines, Obama said.

Obama made it clear that the US-Philippine defense agreement will not return the permanent American military bases in the Philippines. He also added that the US government does not intend to build new bases in the Philippines.

In 1991, the Philippine Senate had voted not to renew its treaty with the US regarding the presence of permanent American bases in the country.  

The abrogation of the basing pact effectively ended nearly a century of American presence in the country through its bases in Subic, Zambales, Clarkfield in Pampanga and several other minor military installations in other parts of the country.

The pact, however, does not say how many American troops will be involved, what bases will be used and when the pact will take effect.

Obama said the details of the framework of the agreement will still be negotiated and announced later by both parties. He said the US troops will mostly engage in joint military exercises and humanitarian missions with Philippine troops. 

The pact, he said, provides the opportunity for both military troops to train and enhance their respective military interoperability under the Mutual Defense Treaty.  He added that the presence of American troops would be limited to the conduct of joint military exercises and humanitarian missions with the Philippine troops.

"Greater cooperation between American and Filipino forces would enhance our ability to train, exercise, and operate with each other and respond even faster to a range of challenges," Obama said.

"The EDCA elevates to a higher plane of engagement our already robust defense alliance, a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. It provides new momentum for our partnership and opens up fresh avenues of bilateral cooperation," Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario said.

In a joint press conference with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, Obama said the increasing tension among claimants in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully and with respect to the international maritime laws.

Obama said the the US will work with China and the other claimants in the territorial disputes in order to reach a peaceful settlement in the South China Sea.  Obama said territorial disputes are not the "end-all and be-all " in their relationship with China.

With the tension among claimants in the South China Sea becoming a security issue, many believe that the heavy presence of the United States in Asia will eventually stabilize the region.