The United States plans to build two maintenance facilities for small vessels operating in western Philippines, one of which is located about 240 kilometers east of the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
According to AFP, the US government's bidding website Sam.gov lists one of the planned maintenance facilities as located in Quezon, Palawan province.
The US Embassy in Manila confirmed on the 16th that the Quezon project and a similar project at Oyster Bay Naval Base approximately 130 kilometers to its north have both been put out for bid.
The embassy emphasized that the new facilities are vessel maintenance bases, not military bases. The relevant facilities will be used to repair and maintain Philippine small military vessels, and will be equipped with two multifunctional rooms for storing equipment or holding meetings.
According to the bidding announcement for the Quezon project, the facility will provide maintenance and servicing for various types of Philippine vessels, including those 7.32 meters long and other smaller conventional vessels.
Jude Ong, a retired Philippine Navy admiral and current military analyst at Manila Ateneo de Manila University, told AFP that such facilities may be used for rigid inflatable boats, but are more likely to be used for small rubber boats supplying the occupied islands and reefs.
Although Quezon does not currently have permanent military facilities, there have been multiple joint US-Philippines military exercises held in the area over the past two years.