MANILA: The US Navy will construct two vessel repair facilities in the western Philippines, including one approximately 240 kilometres east of the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, the US embassy announced.
The move comes amid ongoing territorial tensions between Manila and Beijing over the strategic waterway.
One facility will be located in Quezon municipality, Palawan province, as listed on the US government’s contracting platform Sam.gov.
The project aims to service Philippine vessels, including 7.32-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) frequently involved in maritime standoffs with Chinese ships.
A second facility will be built at Oyster Bay naval base, 130 kilometres north.
The Philippines maintains a small military presence aboard a grounded ship at Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, where frequent confrontations with Chinese coast guard vessels occur.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling rejecting its historical claims.
Retired Philippine admiral Rommel Jude Ong noted the facilities could support resupply missions to remote outposts.
The US-Philippines defence partnership has strengthened under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has taken a firmer stance against Beijing’s maritime expansion. – AFP
