Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 21) — Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez expressed optimism that the four new sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States will be operational in a year’s time.

Romualdez made the remarks in an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday.

“My sense would be probably within the next six months one or two of them (EDCA sites) will be ready and the other two will also be available shortly after. I think within a year’s time these EDCA sites will be operational,” Romualdez said.

The envoy said that so far, the US has not expressed any intention to add more sites under EDCA apart from the four new ones and the five previous ones.

“Right now, wala pa naman [there’s none] but the EDCA agreement with the US is open,” Romualdez said.

“If we feel that there is a need for other areas also, especially if this becomes successful, I don't see any reason why we should not look into possibilities of other EDCA sites in the future,” he added.

The additional four EDCA sites are located in Cagayan, Isabela, and Palawan.

In April, the United States said that it will be allocating $100 million in infrastructure investments for the new and existing EDCA sites for 2023.

"We're proud of the investments we are making. By the end of FY 2023, we expect to have allocated more than $100 million in infrastructure investments at the new and existing EDCA sites," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said in April.

Austin said that the new EDCA sites will also spur economic activities near their locations.

China previously opposed the expansion of EDCA sites and said that this will cause instability in the region.

"Economy and trade cannot flourish without a peaceful and stable regional environment. However, some Americans claim that the four additional military sites in the Philippines to which US forces would have access under the EDCA would bring economic 'opportunities, jobs' to their host communities, and discredit China-Philippines economic cooperation at the same time," the Chinese Embassy said in a previous statement.

Manila and Washington repeatedly insist that the new EDCA sites are not directed at a specific country.