A 1947 military base agreement[10] gave the United States a 99-year lease for a number of Philippine military and naval bases where U.S. authorities had virtual territorial rights. [11] In August 1951, a Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) was signed between representatives of the Philippines and the United States. The comprehensive agreement contained eight articles and stipulated that the two countries would support each other if the Philippines or the United States were attacked by an outside party. An amendment to the Basic Agreement in 1966 shortened the term from 99 years to 25 years. [12] In 1979, after two years of negotiations, the Basic Agreement was renewed with some modifications. [13] “In addition to establishing bases, the Philippine government has requested that a small military mission be sent by the United States to provide appropriate advice and assistance on the Philippines` defense issues. This administration intends to comply with this request in accordance with congressional approval. CONSIDERING that the Government of the United States has solemnly guaranteed the people of the Philippine Islands the right to be totally free and independent […] and because of the long and uninterrupted history of loyalty of the Filipino people both to the cause of complete independence for themselves and to the sovereignty of the United States under our flag, and because they have amply demonstrated their will for independence. and because they have amply demonstrated their ability to govern themselves in an enlightened, progressive and democratic manner. It has decided by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America that the President of the United States, after negotiations with the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines or the President of the Republic of the Philippines, is authorized to retain or acquire and maintain such bases by any means he deems appropriate, necessary accessories to such bases and the rights associated with them in addition to those provided for in the Act of 24 March 1934 (Philippine Independence Act), which he deemed necessary for the mutual protection of the Philippine Islands and the United States. I consider this to be a truly historic event. I have signed an agreement that I hope strengthens our national defense and ensures the security of the Philippine Republic for 99 years.

In addition, I firmly believe that by working with the United States to maintain peace in the Pacific, we are simultaneously ensuring peace in the Pacific and our own security. The agreement as it stands today differs in many ways from the original draft. The entire U.S. military program has been revised. Some contracts have been cancelled or modified and any type of adjustment has been made to meet our needs. U.S. logistics companies in the Pacific, based on the use of Nichols Field, for example, have been modified to accommodate the new situation in which Nichols Field is handed over to the Philippine government. The American commanding general, who had his historic headquarters at Fort McKinley, was transferred to Fort Stotsenburg. Every effort is being made to meet our desire for U.S.

military personnel and installations to be removed from the Manila area and other population centers. I am pleased that this issue has been satisfactorily resolved. Personally, I am against the establishment of military units in the state capital. I am taking steps to remove even the Philippine military facilities from this immediate environment. To resolve the difficulty of the doses, which was more practical than political or military, Ambassador Elizalde took a series of instructions with him to Washington detailing our views and their justifications. These views were conveyed to officials in the U.S. capital. U.S. Ambassador Paul V.

McNutt, as a friend of the Philippines, voluntarily undertook a three-week mission to Washington to resolve this situation. The result of these performances was successful and led to the agreement that has been presented to you today. For its 2017 Philippine-American History Month theme, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) commemorates the 70th anniversary of the 1947 Agreement on Philippine-Philippine Military Bases, the monumental impact it had on Philippine-American relations and the wider Pacific region, and the profound impact the law has had on the Filipino/American community across the country. .

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