The Philippine Navy (PN) said that a seaport that will be built in Batanes through funding from the United States Army will be beneficial for the military and local populace.
Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, PN spokesperson for West Philippine Sea, brushed off criticisms that the civilian seaport may be used by America to position its troops in Batanes, which is deemed crucial due to its strategic location.
"It's not allowed to have regular foreign troops in the country," Trinidad said in a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Tuesday, March 12.
Trinidad explained that the construction of the seaport is part of the preparations of the PN and the AFP "for any eventuality across the spectrum of conflict from peace, to crisis, to wartime." Details as to how much is being allocated for the construction of the seaport are not immediately available.
"Exercises with foreign counterparts are designed to improve our capability and part of this, we have [what] we call exercise-related constructions to be able [to] assist foreign forces and our local forces," he explained.
Batanes is one of the areas being considered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to be the venue of the upcoming Balikatan Exercises next month, which is one of the few exceptions that American forces are allowed to set foot in the Philippines for war games.
Trinidad said that the seaport will capacitate the local community which will host the military exercises as it can be used by the local fisherfolk to support their operation. This will also enable for a faster conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations on the part of the government during times of calamities such as typhoons or earthquakes.
Once finished, the seaport will be turned over to the local government of Batanes. Trinidad said that such construction of facilities "will happen not only in the northern islands."
"It has happened even in other areas that we have had exercises with foreign countries," he said.
Over the weekend, Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco said in a Navy event that the US Army would visit the province in April for the planned construction of the seaport.
She said this would help accommodate Filipino workers in Taiwan in case a conflict arises.
Batanes is facing Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China. China intends to reunify Taiwan to its mainland but the United States has committed to support the self-governing island.
The PN manages a naval station in Batanes situated in Mavulis Island, which is considered as the first line of defense in the northernmost part of the country. It is located at approximately 140 kilometers from Taiwan's southern tip.
The Luzon Strait, which includes the Balintang and Bashi Channels in the Northern Luzon, is an important factor in maneuvering forces for strategic advantage, and a chokepoint for naval and air traffic.
As part of the new Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC), the Department of National Defense (DND) is boosting the military's presence in the northern part of the country, particularly in Batanes.
In February, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and AFP Chief, General Romeo Brawner Jr. visited Batanes where they directed the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) to fortify the military's presence in the northern frontier's maritime defense outposts.
A joint aerial patrol between the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and US Pacific Air Force (PACAF) was also held in the same month.
This angered China as it accused the Philippines of stirring up trouble in the South China Sea.