PH, Australia sign defense cooperation agreement

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The Philippines and Australia on Sunday formally signed an agreement that seeks stronger defense ties between the two countries.

The defense cooperation agreement (DCA) was signed by Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Marc Innes-Brown.

Teodoro said the agreement will streamline the coordination between the Philippines and Australia when it comes to military and security matters, such as disaster response, military hardware procurement, and joint military exercises on land and at sea.

"Ngayon, ang bentahe talaga din nito sa disasters. At least, hindi na maraming permit-permit pa. Isahan na lang ito para agad maka-responde ang ating mga kaalyadong Australyano," said Teodoro in Filipino.

(Now, its real advantage in disasters is that, at least, there are no longer many permits required. It is streamlined into a single process so that our Australian allies can respond immediately.)

The agreement came after two countries signed an intent last year to formalize the deal in 2026.

Teodoro said the deal with Australia is different from the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA between the US and the Philippines, which grants US troops access to designated Philippine military facilities and the right to construct facilities but rules out establishing a permanent base.

The Philippines, United States, Japan, and Australia will also establish a joint defense coordination center in Manila, the Combined Coordination Center (CCC), which aims to strengthen cooperation in domain awareness, information sharing, and military interoperability. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News