Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner conducted an inspection of ongoing projects at Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City.
Lumbia Air Base is one of nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites hosting joint military projects between the Philippines and the United States.
Among the ongoing projects is a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) warehouse, designed to expedite the delivery of essential supplies during emergencies.
Teodoro and Brawner also reviewed the location of two additional EDCA projects: an air traffic control tower and improvements to sections of the airfield runway.
Defense Undersecretary for Acquisition and Resource Management Salvador Melchor Mison Jr. joined Teodoro during the site visit.
Teodoro highlighted the strategic importance of Lumbia Air Base as a key AFP operating base supporting military missions across Mindanao.
The Department of National Defense stated that the EDCA projects, along with other initiatives, will enhance Lumbia’s operational effectiveness and its capacity to support air reserve forces.
These projects are also expected to bolster the base’s role in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations during emergencies in Mindanao.
Under EDCA, the AFP and US forces share access to agreed locations in the Philippines, in line with the Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement.