MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro appealed to local officials and Congress to allocate funds for the completion and maintenance of the approved Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) warehouse at Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro.
The facility is crucial for the rapid deployment of essential supplies during field missions and disaster relief operations.
“There are local items that we requested, from Congressman Lordan Suan, that need to be inserted in the budget. For example, the completion of the OCD (Office of Civil Defense) facility. We need that amount. But this will be synergistic with the community, in the sense that this is high security,” Teodoro said in Filipino.
“But despite that, it needs the support of the local government and Congress because, when this is finally done, we need the budget to run this. The construction cost is also big. We need to spend to maintain and use this properly, because it would be a waste to have this good facility and not spend for its maintenance,” he said.
Teodoro visited Lumbia Air Base, one of the nine agreed locations under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States, on Saturday.
During the visit, Teodoro and Defense Undersecretary for acquisition and resource management Salvador Melchor Mison and key officials from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP ), led by chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner, inspected the location of the approved and funded HADR warehouse.
Once completed, this warehouse is expected to support the rapid deployment of essential supplies in both field missions and HADR operations.
The defense secretary also checked the locations of two other approved EDCA projects in Lumbia: the air traffic control tower and portions of the airfield runway.
He emphasized the importance of Lumbia as one of the country’s major operating bases to support various AFP missions in Mindanao.
“The strategic importance of Lumbia as a major operating base cannot be overstated. Continued development will enhance the operational effectiveness of the air base, enabling it to better support AFP missions in Mindanao, especially during emergencies,” Teodoro added.
The EDCA allows for the joint utilization of AFP and US forces, ensuring readiness and cooperation under the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement.