Bacuyangan Airfield

Economic. The airfield was a private airstrip built, owned, and maintained by the Insular Lumber Company (ILCO). When ILCO, a massive logging firm and the primary economic driver of the town, shut down its operations in Hinobaan, the airfield lost its sole purpose and funding. Without its corporate backer, it was no longer viable and was subsequently abandoned.

The site is completely defunct as an airfield. The original concrete runway remains largely intact and is a prominent local landmark. However, it is no longer maintained for aviation and is now repurposed by the local community. It primarily serves as a village road, a public space for drying palay (rice grains), a recreational area, and an occasional, unsanctioned venue for drag racing. The land surrounding the runway has been encroached upon by residential housing, agricultural plots, and vegetation. No airport infrastructure, such as a terminal, tower, or hangars, remains.

Bacuyangan Airfield was a private corporate airstrip that was historically significant as the logistical air link for the Insular Lumber Company (ILCO), which operated one of the largest hardwood lumber mills in the world. The airfield was essential for transporting company executives, foreign buyers, engineers, critical spare parts, and mail to and from the remote logging concession and mill site. It allowed ILCO to connect its massive industrial operation directly with Manila and other business centers, bypassing the challenging and underdeveloped road network of the era. The operations primarily consisted of light twin-engine and single-engine private aircraft chartered or owned by the company.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Bacuyangan Airfield. The provincial and local governments' focus for aviation development in southern Negros Occidental is on upgrading the nearby Sipalay Airport (IATA: SPY) for commercial tourism flights and a long-term proposal for a new, larger regional airport to be located in Kabankalan City. The Bacuyangan site is considered unsuitable for modern aviation due to its limited length, degraded condition, and significant encroachment by the local community.