1947 Military Bases
1947 Military Bases
Agreement with annexes and exchanges of notes signed at Manila March 14, 1947. Entered into force March
26, 1947. Ratified by the President of the Philippines January 21, 1948.
Implemented by agreements of July 1 and September 12, 1947; October 12, 1947 (as supplemented by
agreements of January 2 and 3, 1948, and February 19 and 29, 1948); October 3 and 14, 1947; December 18
and 19, 1947; December 23 and 24, 1947; March 31 and April 1, 1948; May 14 and 16, 1949; December 29,
1952 (as amended by agreement of January 15 and February 9, 1953); May 29 and June 17, 1953 and April 7
and 22 and July 7 and 22, 1953.
Amended by agreements of May 14 and 16, 1949; August 10, 1965; and Septepmber 16, 1966.
WHEREAS, the war in the Pacific has confirmed the mutuality of interest of the United States of America and of
the Republic of the Philippines in matters relating to the defense of their respective territories and that mutuality
of interest demands that the Governments of the two countries take the nea~saly measures to promote their
mutual security and to defend their territories and areas;
WHEREAS, the Governments of the United States of America and of the Republic of the Philippines are
desirous of cooperating in the common defense of their two comm trithrough arrangements consonant with the
procedures and objectives of the United Nations, and particularly through a grant to the United States of
America by the Republic of the Philippines in the exercise of its title and sovereignty, of the use, free of rent, in
furtherance of the mutual interest of both countries, of certain lands of the public domain;
WHEREAS, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines has requested United States assistance in
providing for the defense of the Philippines and in developing for such defense effective Philippine armed
forces;
WHEREAS, pursuant to this request the Government of the United States of America has, in view of its interest
in the welfare of the Philippines, indicated its intention of dispatching a military mission to the Philippines and of
extending to her appropriate assistance in the development of the Philippine defense forces;
WHEREAS, a Joint Resolution of the Congress of the United States of America of June 29, 1944, authorized
the President of the United States of America to acquire bases for the mutual protection of the United States of
America and of the Philippines; and
WHEREAS, Joint Resolution No. 4 of the Congress of the Philippines, approved July 28, 1945, authorized the
President of the United States of America to negotiate with the President of the Philippines for the
establishment of bases provided for in the Joint Resolution of the Congress of the United States of America of
June 29, 1944, with a view to insuring the territorial integrity of the Philippines, the mutual protection of the
United States of America and the Philippines, and the maintenance of peace in the Pacific;
THEREFORE, the Governments of the Republic of the Philippines and of the United States of America agree
upon the following terms for the delimitation, establishment, maintenance and operation of military bases in the
Philippines:
[…]
The present Agreement shall enter into force upon its acceptance by the two Governments and shall remain in
force for a period of ninety-nine years subject to extension thereafter as agreed by the two Governments.
Signed in Manila, Philippines, in duplicate this fourteenth day of March, nineteen hundred and forty-seven.
For amendment of this article, see agreement of September 16, 1966 (17 UST 1212; TIAS 6084).
Source: “Military Bases Agreement”, https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1007/today-in-philippine-
history-march-14-1947-the-military-bases-agreement-was-signed