Dumarao Airfield

The closure was due to a combination of military obsolescence and economic factors. Its primary purpose was as a strategic military airfield during WWII. After the war, it had no further military value. For civilian purposes, it was economically unviable to maintain, as regional air traffic and development consolidated at larger, better-paved, and more modern facilities like Roxas Airport (RXS) and Iloilo International Airport (ILO). Improved road networks on Panay island also reduced the need for such small, local airstrips.

The site is no longer used for aviation and is unrecognizable as an airport from the ground. The land has been completely reclaimed for civilian use. Satellite imagery clearly shows that the former runway area is now primarily agricultural land, consisting of rice paddies and other crops. The runway's path is bisected by local roads, and several residential homes and farm structures have been built on and around the former airfield grounds.

Dumarao Airfield holds significant World War II history. It was originally constructed by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force during their occupation of the Philippines. As a Japanese base, it was a strategic target for Allied forces and was bombed by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) and U.S. Navy aircraft starting in late 1944. The airfield was captured by the U.S. Army's 40th Infantry Division in March 1945 during the liberation of Panay. Subsequently, it was repaired and used by the USAAF as a combat and transport airfield, supporting fighter and transport groups in the final stages of the war in the Pacific.

There are no known or credible plans or prospects for reopening Dumarao Airfield. The complete lack of infrastructure, combined with the fact that the land has been fully integrated into the local agricultural and residential community, makes any potential redevelopment prohibitively expensive and impractical. The aviation needs of the province of Capiz and the wider Panay island region are adequately met by existing airports.