The Missing Help: What EDCA Promises and What the Flood Reveals
The Missing Help: What EDCA Promises and What the Flood Reveals A recent post reminded everyone that the Philippines has the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States. One of its stated purposes is to help with disaster relief: pre-positioning emergency supplies, rescue vehicles, and medical equipment at regional hubs so they can be used quickly when needed. The post then showed a photo of a flooded public market and asked a simple, sharp question: “Asan sila?” — “Where are they?” This contrast between the official promise and the visible absence of help during a real crisis raises deeper questions about readiness, responsibility, and what it means for something to truly “be there” when people need it. The Promise of Being Ready in Advance EDCA claims that help is already in place before disaster strikes. Supplies and equipment are stored ahead of time at specific locations so they can be deployed rapidly. On paper, this sounds like smart preparation. The res...
