MANILA - The Philippines and the United States formally opened on Monday a newly-rehabilitated runway at the Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga.

The runway rehabilitation is the biggest project under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between Manila and Washington.

A dedication ceremony was held at the air base for the project led by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and US Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Ewing.

Diplomats and top military officials from both countries were also present.

In his speech, Teodoro said the project is part of the Philippines’ and the US’ commitment to protect the country’s national interest, and is not meant to antagonize other countries.

“This alliance is a two-way street and being two-way, what is the convergence? The convergence is the notion that the world must remain free, international commerce must remain free, nations must have the authority and the strength to enforce international law within its territory and jurisdiction and within areas where it has sovereign rights,” Teodoro said.

“We are not here to engage in aggression against anyone. We are here to protect norms of international law… Through our alliance, we hope that in this part of the world, peace and stability grow so that in the greater picture of the dynamics of foreign geopolitics, one less hotspot in the world is provided for,” he added.

The P1.3-billion worth of enhancements funded by the US include the scraping of existing asphalt, re-asphalting and repairing of runway overruns.

The upgrading, repairing and rehabilitation of the airstrip is needed to ensure safer take-offs and landings of aircraft and other aerodrome operations, according to the Philippine Air Force.

Spanning 2.8 kilometers long, the runway is now ready for the bigger and more powerful aircraft of Manila and Washington.

Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus, commander of the 7th Air Force of the US Pacific Air Forces, noted that the PAF’s warplanes, such as FA-50 light fighter jets, require a stable surface to launch and recover in defense of the country’s national interest.

“While an outsider may just see a runway, the airman here today fully understand that a runway is the foundational component to power projection,” Pleus said.

“I look forward to having our forces share this runway, facilities and time here at the 5th Fighter Wing, to exercise together and increase our capability and interoperability, all with the intent of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he continued.

The repairs on the runway began in March this year and were completed on October 20.

Aside from the runway, there are other EDCA projects at the Basa Air Base, including a humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) warehouse, a command control fusion center, fuel storage tanks, arresting gearing pads, and a runway shoulder construction.

“How can EDCA sites help protect the Philippines? The Philippine government, together with the US government and other governments, are helping make Philippine defense capability resilient and robust,” Teodoro noted.