US army personnel stand on top of their Interim armored carrier strykers as they prepare to leave after participating in the live fire exercises, as part of the annual US-Philippines joint military exercise at Crow Valley, in Capas town, Tarlac province, north of Manila on April 10, 2019. (PHOTO / AFP)

BASA AIR BASE, Philippines - The United States and Philippines will announce new sites as soon as possible for an expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which gives the Western power access to military bases in the Southeast Asian country.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr last month granted the United States access to four military bases, on top of five existing locations under the 2014 EDCA.

Speaking at the Basa Air Base in Manila, one of the existing EDCA sites, visiting US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the defense agreements between the two countries were "not focused on any particular issue."

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement allows US access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence

EDCA allows US access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence.

While the Philippines has yet to formally identify the sites, a former military chief has publicly said the United States had asked for access to bases in Isabela, Zambales and Cagayan, all on the island of Luzon, on Palawan in the southwest.

Leaders of local governments at the potential EDCA sites have backed the government's decision to allow the United States greater access to the bases, Philippines' defense chief, Carlito Galvez, said in a joint news conference with Kendall.

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Galvez and Kendall were leading a groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation of the Basa Air Base's runway.

"Today's event is a physical manifestation of our Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a key pillar of the US-Philippine alliance," Kendall said in a speech, adding it built on a seven-decade-old Mutual Defense Treaty. 

"We are at an inflection point in history and our cooperation will help ensure we stay on the path to peace and stability," he added.

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The runway rehabilitation is part of $82 million the United States has allocated for infrastructure investments at the existing five EDCA sites.

"Moving forward we hope the US will consider more EDCA projects," Galvez said.