VICMICO Airfield

The closure was primarily due to economic reasons and obsolescence. Key factors include:
1. **High Operational Costs:** Maintaining a private airfield, including runway upkeep, facilities, and personnel, became increasingly expensive.
2. **Improved Regional Infrastructure:** The development and modernization of the nearby Bacolod-Silay Airport (ICAO: RPVB) provided a more efficient and cost-effective alternative for commercial and corporate travel.
3. **Shift in Logistics:** As commercial aviation became more reliable and accessible, the need for a dedicated corporate airstrip diminished. The Victorias Milling Company could transport executives and parts more easily via commercial flights to Bacolod.
4. **Land Value:** The land occupied by the airfield became more valuable for other purposes, such as residential development.

The site of the former airfield has been permanently repurposed. An analysis of satellite imagery at the provided coordinates (10.88088, 123.07232) shows that the land is no longer an active airfield. A significant portion of the former runway and surrounding area has been redeveloped into a residential community, specifically the Villa Victoria Subdivision. The unmistakable outline of the runway is still partially visible, but it is now bisected by roads and has houses built directly upon it. The land is no longer suitable for any aviation activity.

VICMICO Airfield was a private airstrip owned and operated by the Victorias Milling Company (VMC), one of the largest sugar producers in the Philippines and Asia. Its primary function was to support the company's vast operations in Negros Occidental, the 'Sugar Bowl' of the Philippines. When active, it handled:
- **Corporate Transport:** Flying company executives, engineers, and VIP guests to and from the remote milling complex.
- **Agricultural Aviation:** It was a base for light aircraft used in crop dusting to spray pesticides and fertilizers over the extensive sugarcane plantations owned by VMC.
- **Light Cargo and Emergency Use:** Used for transporting critical machine parts or for medical evacuations.
The airfield was a symbol of the scale and self-sufficiency of major agro-industrial enterprises in the Philippines during the mid to late 20th century.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the VICMICO Airfield. The redevelopment of the land for residential use makes a return to aviation operations physically and logistically impossible. The aviation needs of Victorias City and the northern Negros Occidental region are comprehensively served by the modern Bacolod-Silay Airport, making a smaller, private airstrip in the area redundant.