MANILA: The Philippines and the United States reached agreement on Friday on a new security accord allowing American military forces to share local bases for maritime and humanitarian operations, a senior Philippine defense officials said.

The two oldest allies in the Asia-Pacific region had been negotiating a new military deal for nearly eight months to increase US rotational presence in the Philippines and improve its former colony’s defense capability.

The pact will also raise the level of protection against China, which has strengthened its naval presence in disputed areas in the South China Sea after seizing control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012. Pio Lorenzo Batino, Undersecretary of Defense and chair of the Philippine negotiating panel, said both sides had reached a “consensus on key points” during an eighth round of talks.

“The draft provisions on key points of an enhanced defense cooperation will be submitted to the president for his review,” Batino said in a statement. The accord is expected to be signed during President Barack Obama’s April 28-29 visit to Manila. The agreement will be a highlight of Obama’s visit to Asia, underscoring the US “rebalance” to Asia despite preoccupations elsewhere, including Ukraine, Iran and Syria.

“No, I don’t think there should be any doubts to the US rebalance to Asia,” said Jose Cuisia, the Philippine ambassador to US.

Cuisia said the Philippines stood to receive more US military assistance once the pact was signed. For this year, the US allocated about $50 million in foreign military financing, nearly double the previous year’s sum.