Camp Aquino, Tarlac City – The Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., together with the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CSAFP), GENERAL ROMEO S BRAWNER Jr.,PA and LIEUTENANT GENERAL FERNYL G BUCA PAF, Commander Northern Luzon Command (COMNOLCOM) visited the three Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) Sites located in Camp Melchor F Dela Cruz, Upi, Gamu, Isabela on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
The EDCA sites inspected include a Warehouse, Command and Control Fusion Center, and the 5th Division Training School of the 5th Infantry (Startroopers) Division, Philippine Army.
In a statement from the COMNOLCOM he said that, “The successful completion of this visit reinforces the commitments made by both nations to bolster their defense cooperation and regional stability through the EDCA framework.”
“The visit provided the country’s top defense officials with an invaluable firsthand experience of the progress achieved through collaborative efforts”, the COMNOLCOM added.
It can be recalled that Sec. Teodoro stepped into action on August 3, 2023 alongside GENERAL BRAWNER JR, the CSAFP, and LTGEN BUCA PAF, COMNOLCOM to supervise the Philippine-US joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations at the EDCA Site in Lal-lo, Cagayan.
Present also during the visit are Brigadier General Rocky J Binag PAF, Wing Commander of Tactical Operations Wing Northern Luzon (TOWNOL), and Brigadier General Danilo D Benavides PA, Assistant Division Commander of the 5th Infantry (Startroopers) Division.
According to COMNOLCOM that, “EDCA is key to our national interests, as it modernizes our alliance with the US, enhancing our disaster preparedness and response capabilities. It strengthens our maritime domain awareness and security while providing basing for our current and future assets. The EDCA sites, plays a crucial role in facilitating joint operations during natural or man-made emergencies. The urgent need to fast-track the construction of facilities within the EDCA sites is in response to the exigencies of HADR requirements.”
