Philippines announces four more military bases U.S. troops can use

The 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA, gave U.S. forces access to five Philippine bases.

The Philippines announced on April 3 the location of four additional military bases to be used by U.S. troops, with one site near the hotly disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan.

The longtime treaty allies agreed in February to expand cooperation in "strategic areas" of the Philippines as they seek to counter China's growing assertiveness over self-governed Taiwan and the building of Chinese bases in the South China Sea.

The 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA, gave U.S. forces access to five Philippine bases.

It was expanded to nine, but the locations of the four additional bases were withheld until Monday while the government consulted with local officials.

The four sites had been assessed by the Philippine military and deemed "suitable and mutually beneficial", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.

It said the bases would also be used for humanitarian and relief operations during disasters.

A U.S. official confirmed that the locations announced by the palace were the new EDCA sites.