MANILA. The United States Navy will construct a boat maintenance facility in Palawan, the US Embassy in the Philippines confirmed Tuesday.
According to the embassy’s statement, the US Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command released a public solicitation on July 7 for the design and construction of the facility at the Philippine Navy’s Naval Detachment in Oyster Bay.
“The facility will provide repair and maintenance capabilities for several small Philippine military watercraft and will include two multi-purpose interior rooms suitable for equipment storage or conference use,” the embassy said.
The embassy clarified that the facility is not a US military base and emphasized that the project has been approved by the Philippine government in compliance with all local regulations and bilateral agreements.
“Our U.S.-Philippine alliance, with its roots in the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, remains a cornerstone of peace and security, promoting our common vision for a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific,” the embassy added. “All of our military activities in the Philippines are done in full coordination with our Philippine allies.”
The location of the planned facility is near the West Philippine Sea, where tensions continue between the Philippines and China due to overlapping territorial claims.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a strategic waterway that sees over $3 trillion in annual shipborne trade. Parts of the area are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
To reinforce its sovereignty, the Philippine government refers to portions of its maritime territory within the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea. This includes the waters around Luzon, the Kalayaan Island Group, and Bajo de Masinloc.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s sweeping claims had “no legal basis.” China, however, has refused to recognize the ruling.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
- Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
