CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Preparations are underway for the relocation of the Philippine Air Force attack squadron to the Lumbia Airport here, an official said Thursday.
Vice Mayor Rainier Joaquin Uy said the PAF top brass paid a call at the City Hall here to inform the city government of the PAF’s ongoing site development at the Lumbia Airport here.
He said the PAF 15th Strike Wing, currently based at Sangley Point in Cavite, with a complement of about 1,100 personnel, will be relocated to Cagayan De Oro City after the site development of Lumbia is over.
According to Uy, the Department of National Defense has allocated a P988million for the “Phase 1 – Site Development and Construction of Billeting Facilities for the relocation of the 15th Strike Wing.”
Uy did not disclose the scheduled completion of the site development and the construction of the billeting facilities for the PAF personnel.
The 15th Strike Wing, the PAF’s primary attack squadron, has a newly acquired AW-109 attack helicopter gunship, OV 10 attack planes, MG -520 attack helicopter gunship, and SF-260 ground attack aircraft.
Uy said the relocation of the PAF strike squadron in the Lumbia Airport along with over 1,000 personnel would perk economic activity in the area.
The Lumbia Airport once served as the commercial airport of Cagayan De Oro City, which was closed following the operation of the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental.
The 500-hectare airport was not utilized as the headquarters of the PAF’s Tactical Operation Group in Northern Mindanao.