Tovic Salvador

Marcos Jr. yet to receive formal offer on planned US ammunition facility in Zambales: Malacañang

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17513551038411751355099874.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Soldiers participating in the 2023 Balikatan military exercises prepare for the live fire exercise of the FGM-148 &quot;Javelin&quot; anti-tank system in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, on April 13, 2023. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to receive a formal offer regarding a plan to establish an ammunition production and storage facility in Zambales, a Malacañang official said on Tuesday.</p><p>Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. earlier said that he welcomes a possible establishment of the said facility after US lawmakers noted that they are considering constructing it at the former American naval base in the Philippines, citing the “lack of a forward-staged ammunition manufacturing” site in the Indo-Pacific region.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/30/teodoro-welcomes-us-plan-to-establish-ammunition-warehouse-factory-in-subic-1817">Teodoro welcomes US plan to establish ammunition warehouse, factory in Subic</a></div><p>“Since wala pa naman pong formal offer patungkol po dito, mas maganda po siguro bago natin hilingin ang tugon ng ating Pangulo ay mas magandang mailatag sana sa kaniya kung ano ang mga detalye dito,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.</p><p>“Ang Pangulo naman po ay doon lagi sa makakabuti sa ating bansa at makakabuti sa taumbayan,” she said.</p><p>In a June 16 report, the US House Committee on Appropriations ordered the US Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of State and the International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) to assess the feasibility of establishing a joint ammunition production and storage facility in Subic Bay.</p><p>Teodoro underscored that any production venture will benefit the Philippines as it can generate employment and technological transfers.</p><p>Several sectors have been cautioning against the Philippines’ involvement in US military deals after Iran recently targeted a US base in Qatar amid its war against joint forces from Israel and the US.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h7tmwgmCL48?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div> </div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to receive a formal offer regarding a plan to establish an ammunition production and storage facility in Zambales, a Malacañang official said on Tuesday.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to receive a formal offer regarding a plan to establish an ammunition production and storage facility in Zambales, a Malacañang official said on Tuesday.