Washington: United States President Donald Trump emphasized the strategic importance of the proposed ammunition manufacturing facility in Subic Bay, Zambales, highlighting its role in enhancing both Philippine defense capabilities and US military readiness. During a press conference at the White House following his bilateral meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Trump stated, "It's very important. Otherwise, we wouldn't have approved it."

According to Philippines News Agency, Trump detailed the US's need for ammunition, suggesting that within a few months, the US would possess an unprecedented stockpile of various types of missiles. The proposed joint project, to be established in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, forms part of a broader US-Philippines defense cooperation agenda under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). This initiative comes amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

The US House Committee on Appropriations has tasked its Department of Defense, State Department, and the International Development Finance Corp. with evaluating the feasibility of setting up such a facility in Subic Bay. President Marcos clarified that the ammunition production plan aligns with the Philippines' Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP), with US support intended to bolster the nation's self-reliance in defense.

Marcos stated, "This is actually the US assisting the Philippines in what we call our self-reliance defense program, which is to allow us to be self-reliant and to be able to stand on our own two feet, whatever the circumstances that occur in the future." He also addressed the possibility of hosting additional US missile systems, noting that military modernization efforts are a response to the changing security landscape.

The Subic site, once a US naval base and now a commercial hub, is strategically significant due to its proximity to the West Philippine Sea. This area, within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, overlaps with the South China Sea, a region entirely claimed by China.