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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pag-asa Island runway upgrade completed, AFP says

Pag-asa Island runway upgrade completed, AFP says

Published Jun 4, 2025 03:40 pm
Pag-asa Island (File photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines)
Pag-asa Island (File photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that the extension of the runway on Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has already been completed.

“Our runway is 100 percent complete already. Now we are just finishing the ancillaries around it and we are aiming to complete it within the year,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.

The AFP conducted a maritime domain awareness flight (MDA) in the WPS and checked infrastructure developments on Pag-asa Island on Tuesday, June 3. 

The MDA flight was held ahead of the commemoration of the 127th anniversary of the Philippine Independence Day. The AFP said China issued a radio challenge to the C-130 aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) during the flight.

The completion of the three-kilometer runway was part of government’s efforts to develop an airport on Pag-asa, the largest of the nine features occupied by the Philippines in the Kalayaan Island Group, amid the creeping presence of Chinese vessels near the island.

The extension of the airstrip will allow larger aircraft to land, improving the island's connectivity and accessibility for both military use and civilian activities.

Pag-asa is located about 270 nautical miles (500 kilometers) west of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Aside from the airstrip, the Department of National Defense (DND) is also building a hangar and control tower on Pag-asa Island, both of which are also close to being finished, according to Padilla.

These facilities will help ensure that aircraft arrivals and departures on the island are properly managed and run smoothly.

In 2023, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. flew to Pag-asa with House Speaker Martin Romualdez where the latter revealed that the Lower House had committed P3 billion to fund various infrastructure projects on the island.

These projects included an airport reclamation, a naval port, and a fishing sanctuary.

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AFP Pag-asa Island West Philippine Sea runway
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