A United States (US) Navy ship has docked at the Macabalan Port in Cagayan de Oro City on Sunday, March 15, 2026, as part of a joint military exercise between American troops and Filipino soldiers under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

The vessel, which bears the American flag and the marking “US Naval Ship SEAY” on its aft portion, has drawn the attention of several residents in the city.

“Katong nay Navy ship sa port of Cagayan mag scenario based na siya. Example nay disaster sa Luzon mag offload na siya mga logistic tapos ipaadto sa barge to help sa didto sa Luzon,” Col. Anselmo Ty II, commander of the 590th Air Base of the Philippine Air Force, said.

Ty clarified that the vessel is not a warship but a utility ship designed to provide logistical support for the Balikatan exercise.

Authorities assured the public that there is no cause for concern, as the presence of US troops at the Lumbia Air Base will only last for two weeks and is not related to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. After completing the training exercises, the ship is expected to leave.

“Scheduled na kasi annual naman nan aa na sa calendar of activities and approve na yan sa ating government. Totally not connected sa Middle East conflict,” Ty added.

Nearly 100 US servicemen arrived in the city last week to participate in the humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and interoperability training with the Philippine Army.

The Lumbia Air Base is among the nine military bases in the Philippines designated as EDCA sites under the 2014 defense agreement between the Philippine and US governments. The remaining eight sites are located in Luzon and the Visayas.