Divilacan Airstrip

The closure was due to a combination of factors:
1. **Redundancy and Consolidation:** The nearby Maconacon Airport (RPLN), located in the adjacent municipality, was upgraded with a concrete runway and better facilities, becoming the primary airport for the region. Air traffic was consolidated there, making the Divilacan Airstrip redundant.
2. **Poor Condition:** The airstrip was unpaved (grass/dirt), making it difficult and costly to maintain, highly susceptible to weather damage, and unsafe for regular operations.
3. **Economic Non-viability:** The limited and often seasonal demand for flights to such a remote community made it economically challenging for small airlines to maintain consistent service.

The site is currently abandoned and completely unserviceable for any aviation activity. Recent satellite imagery shows that the runway's outline is still clearly visible from the air, but it is heavily overgrown with grass, shrubs, and other vegetation. There are no buildings or infrastructure remaining, and the land appears to be unused or used informally for animal grazing. It has effectively reverted to an open field.

Divilacan Airstrip was a critical 'community airstrip' that served as a lifeline for the isolated coastal municipality of Divilacan. Separated from the rest of Isabela province by the Sierra Madre mountain range, land travel to Divilacan is extremely difficult and often impossible during bad weather. The airstrip provided the only reliable and fast connection for:
- **Passenger and Cargo Transport:** Moving people, mail, food, and essential supplies.
- **Medical Evacuations:** Transporting patients in critical condition to hospitals in major cities like Cauayan or Tuguegarao.
- **Government and Business Travel:** Facilitating access for officials and commerce.
Operations were typically handled by small, short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft, such as the Britten-Norman Islander (BN-2), flown by charter and commuter carriers that specialized in serving remote communities.

There are no known official plans or prospects for rehabilitating or reopening the Divilacan Airstrip. Provincial and national aviation development efforts for this coastal region are focused on maintaining and improving the operational Maconacon Airport. Given the high cost of rebuilding the airstrip from scratch and its close proximity to the functioning Maconacon Airport, its reopening is considered economically unjustifiable and highly unlikely.