Lahug Airfield

The primary reason for the closure of Lahug Airfield was the opening of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in 1966. Lahug Airfield was located in a rapidly urbanizing area of Cebu City, which made expansion impossible. Its relatively short runway could not accommodate the larger jet aircraft, such as the Douglas DC-8, that Philippine Airlines and other carriers were beginning to operate. The new airport on Mactan Island offered long runways and ample space for future expansion, rendering the city-locked Lahug Airfield obsolete for commercial aviation.

The former site of Lahug Airfield has been completely redeveloped and is now the location of the **Cebu IT Park**. This is one of Cebu City's premier business districts and a major hub for the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry. The area is a bustling, modern, mixed-use development featuring numerous high-rise office buildings, residential condominiums, hotels, restaurants, and a large shopping mall (Ayala Malls Central Bloc). The main thoroughfare of the park, W Geonzon Street, roughly follows the path of the old runway, a subtle nod to the site's aviation past.

Lahug Airfield was Cebu's original and principal airport for several decades, holding significant historical importance.

- **Pre-War and World War II:** It served as a pre-war airfield for the US Army Air Forces. During World War II, it was captured and utilized by the occupying Imperial Japanese forces. It became a strategic target for Allied bombing raids and was a key objective during the Battle for Cebu City in March 1945, when it was recaptured by American liberation forces.

- **Post-War Commercial Hub:** After the war, it became the main gateway to Cebu and the surrounding Visayas region. It was a busy hub for Philippine Airlines (PAL) and other local carriers, primarily handling propeller-driven aircraft like the Douglas DC-3.

- **The Magsaysay Tragedy:** The airfield is tragically etched in Philippine history as the departure point for the final flight of President Ramon Magsaysay. On March 17, 1957, the presidential C-47 aircraft, named "Mt. Pinatubo," took off from Lahug Airfield and crashed into Mount Manunggal, killing the beloved president and 24 others. This event is one of the most significant moments in the nation's political history.

There are absolutely no plans or prospects for reopening Lahug Airfield. The site is now one of the most densely developed and economically valuable commercial and residential districts in Cebu City. Reverting the land to an airfield is logistically impossible and economically unfeasible due to the extensive urban infrastructure that has been built upon it over the past several decades.