Mabalacat East Airfield (Kamikaze East)

The primary reason for its closure was military abandonment. The airfield was built and used by the occupying Imperial Japanese forces during World War II. When US and Filipino forces recaptured the area in 1945, the airfield became redundant and was abandoned, as all major air operations were consolidated at the nearby Clark Air Base. The site was eventually sold and completely redeveloped for residential use, making its closure permanent.

The site of the former Mabalacat East Airfield has been completely and permanently redeveloped. The land is now occupied by a large residential subdivision, specifically the 'Sotogrande Pampanga' community. The original runway and any remaining structures have been entirely obliterated and replaced by houses, paved roads, and community amenities. The faint outline of the former runway is no longer visible on current satellite imagery due to the extensive construction.

Mabalacat East Airfield holds a significant, albeit dark, place in military history. It was constructed by the Japanese during their occupation of the Philippines as one of several satellite airfields surrounding the main Clark Field complex. Its most notable role was being the launch point for the first official, organized Kamikaze suicide attacks. On October 25, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the first sorties of the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps (Tokkōtai) took off from Mabalacat East (or a nearby Mabalacat strip) to attack US Navy warships. This event marked the formal beginning of the systematic use of suicide attacks as a Japanese military tactic for the remainder of the war.

None. The prospect of reopening the airfield is zero. The land has been fully converted to a high-density residential area, making any future aviation use physically impossible without demolishing the entire community.