SUBIC BAY, Philippines — From his office window, Roberto Garcia watches workers repair the USS Emory S. Land, a submarine support vessel that is part of a US military buildup as Washington turns its attention to fast-growing Asia and a newly assertive China. The Philippines, Australia and other parts of the region have seen a resurgence of US warships, planes and personnel since President Barack Obama announced a “pivot” in foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia late last year. Washington insists the shift is not about containing China or a permanent return to military bases of the past. But it is sometimes tough to tell the difference at Subic Bay, a deepwater port near vital sea lanes and border disputes in the South China Sea that have raised tensions between China and Southeast Asian nations. “Every month we have ships coming. A few weeks ago, we had the submarines, we've had the aircraft carriers,” said Garcia, chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, which oversees an economic zone built on the former US base. “They cannot find this kind of facility anywhere else in Asia.” The territorial tensions and the US shift towards the region will be high on the agenda when Obama visits Southeast Asia in coming days. The Pentagon says the United States has “no intention of re-establishing bases in the Philippines.” But activity in Subic, a breezy coastal city about 80 km north of Manila that has the feel of a tidy American suburb with shopping malls, fast-food outlets and well-lit streets, resembles a buildup. As of October, 70 US Navy ships had passed through Subic, more than the 55 in 2011 and the 51 in 2010. The Pentagon says more than 100 US planes stop over each month at Clark, another former US base located between Manila and Subic. “It's like leasing a car as opposed to buying it - all the advantages of ownership with a reduced risk,” said James Hardy, Asia-Pacific editor of IHS Jane's Defense Weekly. “If you look at Subic, the US will be leveraging Philippine bases and assets, privately owned assets, and all at a fraction of the monetary and political price of taking back ownership of the base. It gives the US the same strategic reach that basing would have done but without all the hassle.” US forces were evicted from Subic and Clark, the last and largest of their bases in the Philippines, in 1992. They revived close ties from 2000 with war games, frequent visits and by helping against communist and Muslim insurgents. Emphasizing Subic's renewed role , South Korea's Hanjin Heavy Industries, which has invested $2 billion in the port's shipyards, signed an agreement this spring with AMSEC, a unit of Pentagon contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries, to set up a maintenance and logistics hub to serve US warships. As a Pacific power, the United States has an interest in freedom of navigation, stability, respect for international law and unimpeded, lawful commerce across sea lanes, said Major Catherine Wilkinson, a Pentagon spokeswoman. “Our military presence in the region helps to maintain peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific,” she said. For the Philippines, the greater US presence gives its woefully equipped air force and navy implied cover as tensions simmer with China and other rivals in the South China Sea, along with time for the military to modernize maritime capabilities and coastal radar systems - with US help. It is also good for the economy. More visits by US sailors and pilots mean more jobs and money for shops, restaurants, bars, suppliers and contractors around Clark and Subic. “It's a very welcome thing,” said Vic Vizcocho, publisher of the Subic Bay News. “If there's going to be opposition, it will be very small and more from outside the area.” The last three US ships to visit brought in $5 million in business, said Garcia, whose office and desk were used by the US admiral who ran the 7th Fleet when it was based at Subic. Still, the influx is a mixed blessing. Philippine diplomats say Washington is seeking access to an even wider range of ports and airports, including Laoag in the far northwest, which looks across the South China Sea and is only about 800 km from the Chinese coast. Garcia said he expects the situation in the South China Sea to be resolved but the United States to play an ever bigger role in the Philippines and the region. “The tensions will lessen because the world cannot afford to get into a dispute over territories,” he said. “But that doesn't mean the presence will reduce. Always you have to talk about a balance of power.” — Reuters
