PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will establish a military air base in Balabac town in southern Palawan.
This, after Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez and PAF commanding general Lt. General Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. inked a memorandum of agreement that would establish the base.
In a statement sent Monday by the office of Gil Acosta Jr., information officer of the provincial government, the “Balabac Air Base” will be set up in a 300-hectare area in Barangay Catagupan, Balabac, southern Palawan. Quoting Alvarez, the statement said that setting aside the property for the PAF base is the provincial government’s contribution to efforts to secure the West Philippines Sea and the southern border.
“Indeed, this is a big milestone for us, as we impart on securing the future of the West Philippine Sea including our southern borders. Rest assured that we have a government here that is ready anytime,” it quoted Alvarez.
The statement, quoting Kintanar, also said the establishment of the air base will be an important milestone in the history of PAF and the provincial government due to the role it will have in sheltering equipment and personnel.
“This is a significant and historic event giving us 300 hectares of precious land in southern Palawan, in a place where we’ll hopefully call later as the Balabac Air Base of the PAF,” the statement said, quoting Kintanar.
Alvarez’s authority to sign the agreement is in accordance with Resolution 13644, series of 2018, approved by Sangguniang Panlalawigan members. (Celeste Anna Formoso/PNA)
