What I am viewing under the Marcos Administration in the Philippines is interesting. I was initially suspicious of having the son of Ferdinand Marcos as president of the Philippines. I was really concerned this could once again end up in martial law. However, under Marcos there has been the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) first negotiated in 2014 enhancing the Philippines strategic importance to South East Asia.

The major alignment with China under Rodrigo Durerte was a disaster for the Philippines strategically. There were concerns the new Marcos Administration could take the Philippines even closer to China given his ties with Duterte. Rodrigo Duterte made no qualms about his disdain for the United States, but as a leader of a nation Duterte should have put his personal feelings aside and acted in the best interests of the Philippines.

What Marcos has done was side with the US, unlike Duterte who was very pro-China, Marcos has widened ties with the US and opened a whole bunch of military bases throughout the country. Now the Chinese need to think and respond differently to Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. The US military presence in the Philippines now acts as a strong deterrence against Chinese aggression with naval and air force assets once again stationed on Philippines soil.

The Philippines once again acts as part of the first island chain preventing Chinese naval forces from breaking out into the western Pacific. With expanded bases in Lal-Lo air base and Camilo Osais in the north and Antonio Bautista air base in Palawan and Balabac Island south of Palawan where the US can bring in equipment and construct infrastructure. The naval bases and airfield to the north of the Philippines are an ideal location to defend Taiwan and the bases in the west defend Philippines interests in the Sprately Islands.