PICOP Airport

Economic. The airport was a private airstrip owned and operated by the Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP). Its closure was a direct consequence of the financial collapse and cessation of major operations of the parent company. As PICOP's activities wound down due to debt, labor issues, and eventual receivership in 2003, the airport, which existed solely to support the company, became defunct.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Satellite imagery confirms the runway is severely deteriorated, overgrown with vegetation, and unusable for any aviation purposes. The site and surrounding lands of the former PICOP complex are being repurposed. Notably, a significant portion of the area is being developed into the Bislig Solar Power Project. The old runway is also reportedly used by local residents for non-aviation activities such as drying agricultural products (palay) or as an open space.

The PICOP Airport was a vital logistical asset for what was once one of the largest integrated pulp and paper mill operations in Southeast Asia. Its primary purpose was to serve the executive and operational needs of the PICOP industrial complex located in a relatively remote area. Operations included: transporting company executives, engineers, and VIPs to and from major cities like Manila and Cebu; flying in urgent, high-value spare parts for the massive paper mill machinery to minimize downtime; and facilitating emergency medical evacuations for company personnel. It was a private, corporate airfield and did not handle scheduled commercial passenger flights for the general public.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen the private PICOP Airport (PH-0441). The original owner and operator no longer exists, the infrastructure is derelict, and the land is being redeveloped for industrial use (solar energy). It is important to distinguish this private airstrip from the government-owned Bislig Airport (IATA: BPH, ICAO: RPMF), which is a separate facility. While there have been intermittent discussions and government proposals over the years to rehabilitate and reopen the public Bislig Airport (RPMF) for commercial flights to boost local tourism and economy, these plans do not involve the former PICOP airstrip.