Cabatuan Airfield

The historical airfield on this site, known as Tiring Airfield, was a military installation built during World War II. It was abandoned following the end of the war and the subsequent demobilization of military forces. The land largely reverted to agricultural use for several decades and was not an active airport immediately prior to its redevelopment.

The site of the former Tiring Airfield was selected for redevelopment in the early 2000s. Today, it is the location of the modern **Iloilo International Airport (IATA: ILO, ICAO: RPVI)**. Construction began in 2004, and the new airport officially opened on June 14, 2007, replacing the older Mandurriao Airport. The coordinates provided (10.84659, 122.50579) fall within the perimeter of this active international airport. The unofficial ICAO code 'PH-0636' likely refers to the historical airfield in unofficial databases or flight simulators, not the current, operational airport.

The site holds significant World War II history as the location of Tiring Airfield.

- **Construction and Japanese Use:** It was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Army between 1942 and 1943, using Allied prisoners of war and local Filipino forced labor. It became a primary Japanese airbase in the Visayas region, hosting fighter and bomber units used for patrols and attacks against Allied shipping and forces.

- **Allied Target and Capture:** Due to its strategic importance, Tiring Airfield was heavily targeted and bombed by the U.S. Thirteenth Air Force and other Allied air units from late 1944 into 1945 to neutralize Japanese air power ahead of the liberation of Panay island.

- **American Use:** After its capture by American forces in March 1945, the airfield was repaired and used by the U.S. Army Air Forces. The 42d Bombardment Group, flying B-25 Mitchell bombers, was based here from August to October 1945.

After the war, aviation services for the region were handled by Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo City, and the Tiring Airfield site fell into disuse.

Not applicable. The site is not a closed airfield awaiting reopening. It is an active, major international airport serving the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. There are ongoing discussions and plans for the expansion and potential privatization of the current Iloilo International Airport to increase its capacity, but there are no plans to 'reopen' the historical airfield as it has been completely replaced by the modern facility.