Policy, purpose, and general intent
- The Order classifies airports and landing fields and fixes responsibility for their proper construction, administration, use and maintenance.
- The classification applies to airports and landing fields built or to be built.
- The Order organizes airports and landing fields according to purpose, then designates specific airports and landing fields under each category.
Core classification of airports and landing fields
- Section 1 reclassifies all airports and landing fields according to these categories:
- Commercial, when operated and maintained for commercial aviation.
- Military, when operated and maintained for military aviation, where military authorities’ consent allows use by commercial and private planes.
- Section 1 defines National Emergency Landing Fields as landing fields constructed or to be constructed along air routes for safety precaution in case of forced landing.
- Section 1 defines Provincial Airports and Landing Fields as airports and landing fields financed exclusively from provincial funds and primarily of local importance.
- Section 1 defines City Airports and Landing Fields as airports and landing fields built and maintained by cities with city funds, and Municipal Airports and Landing Fields as those built and maintained by municipalities with municipal funds.
- Section 1 defines Private Airports and Landing Fields as those constructed and maintained by any private individual, co-partnership, association, corporation, or joint-stock company.
- Section 1 defines United States Military Airports and Landing Fields as airports and landing fields owned, operated and maintained by the United States Government for military aviation only.
Designated airport and landing field categories
- Section 2 designates the following under I. COMMERCIAL NATIONAL AIRPORTS, listing:
- Aparri (Camalaniugan), Cagayan (Under construction); Badas-Placer, Surigao; Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya; Baguio, Benguet; Baler, Tayabas; Bancase, (Butuan), Agusan; Basco, Batanes; Batangas, Batangas; Borongan, Samar; Bulan, Sorsogon; Buluan, Cotabato; Butuan, Agusan (Temporarily abandoned); Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; Calapan, Mindoro; Calbayog, Samar (Under construction); Capiz, Capiz; Catarman, Samar; Cotabato, Cotabato; Culion, Palawan; Daet, Camarines Norte; Dansalan, Lanao; Davao, Davao; Del Monte, Bukidnon; Dipolog, Zamboanga (Under construction); Dumaguete, Negros Oriental; Iba, Zambales; Ilagan (Gamu), Isabela; Iloilo, Iloilo; Iwahig, Palawan; Jolo, Sulu; Laoag, Ilocos Norte; Legaspi, Albay; Lucena, Tayabas (Under construction); Malabang, Lanao; Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Masbate, Masbate; Naga, Camarines Sur; Naguilian, La Union; Plaridel, Bulacan; Rosales, Pangasinan; San Jose de Buenavista, Antique; Tacloban, Leyte; Tagbilaran, Bohol; Tarlac, Tarlac; Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
- Section 2 designates II. MILITARY NATIONAL AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS as:
- Balara (San Mateo), Rizal; Cebu, Cebu (Open to commercial and private planes); Dingle, Iloilo; San Fernando, Pampanga; Zablan Field, Quezon City.
- Section 2 designates III. NATIONAL EMERGENCY LANDING FIELDS as:
- Alabat Island (Perez), Tayabas; Barobo (LiaAga), Surigao; Catanauan, Tayabas; Daja (BaAga), Capiz; Ferrol (Tablas Island), Romblon; Kibawe, Bukidnon; Tabung Point, Capiz; Valencia, Bukidnon; Wasig, Mindoro.
- Section 2 provides category listings for IV. PROVINCIAL AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS, V. CITY AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS, and VI. MUNICIPAL AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS without enumerating specific airports in the text of the Order.
- Section 2 designates VII. PRIVATE AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS including:
- Acoje (Sta. Cruz), Zambales; Anahao Island (Hernani), Samar; Bacolod, Negros Occidental; Calatagan, Batangas; Canlubang, (Calamba), Laguna; Del Carmen (Floridablanca), Pampanga; Fabrica, Negros Occidental; Gingoog (Anakan Lumber Co.), Misamis Oriental; Grace Park, Rizal; Kabankalan, Negros Occidental; La Carlota, Negros Occidental; Maraut River (Davao Gold Mine), Davao; Nasugbu, Batangas; Nielson, Rizal; Paracale, Camarines Norte; San Jose, Mindoro; San Miguel, Tarlac; Siwayan (Rio Guinobatan), Masbate; Waterous (Mangarin), Mindoro.
- Section 2 designates IX. UNITED STATES MILITARY AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS as:
- Clark Field, Pampanga; Nichols Field, Rizal; Wolfe Field (Zamboanga), Zamboanga (Open to commercial and private planes).
Administrative control and supervision
- Section 3 places the acquisition, construction, administration, maintenance and improvement of commercial national airports and landing fields under the control and supervision of the Director of Aeronautics.
- Section 4 places the acquisition, construction, administration, maintenance and improvement of military national airports and landing fields under the control and supervision of the Chief of Staff, Philippine Army.
- Section 4 allows military control to be shifted: the construction, maintenance and improvement of military airports and landing fields may be placed under the control and supervision of the Director of Aeronautics only upon request of the Chief of Staff and with the approval of the Secretary of National Defense.
- Section 5 places the acquisition, construction, administration, maintenance and improvement of national emergency landing fields under the control and supervision of the Director of Aeronautics.
- Section 6 requires construction, improvement and maintenance of provincial, city and municipal airports and landing fields to be carried out with the advice and under the general supervision of the Director of Aeronautics.
Funding rules and appropriation sources
- Section 3 provides that commercial national airports and landing fields are financed from:
- special or annual appropriations authorized by the Philippine Government, and
- funds derived from Act No. 3592, as amended by Commonwealth Act No. 130.
- Section 4 provides that when military airports and landing fields are placed under the Director of Aeronautics, the same may be financed from funds of the Bureau of Aeronautics.
- Section 5 requires national emergency landing fields to be financed in the same manner as commercial national airports and landing fields.
Use restrictions and access conditions
- Section 9 prohibits private airports and landing fields from being used by commercial planes, except in case of emergency.
- Section 9 allows commercial-plane use of private airports and landing fields only if they:
- have been constructed and rated in accordance with the regulations of the Bureau of Aeronautics, and
- have a permit issued by that Bureau.
- Section 10 empowers the Director of Aeronautics to adopt and issue, with the approval of the Secretary of National Defense, rules and regulations to govern the use of airports and landing fields.
- Section 10 specifies that rules and regulations issued by the Director of Aeronautics do not apply to airports and landing fields constructed and maintained for purely military purposes.
Reclassification and designation mechanisms
- Section 7 allows any provincial, city or municipal airport or landing field to be designated a national airport or landing field only upon:
- request of the concerned province, city or municipality, and
- a favorable recommendation of the Secretary of National Defense.
- Section 8 authorizes the Secretary of National Defense, upon request of the Provincial Board and with the concurrence of the Municipal Council concerned, to designate any municipal airport as a provincial airport.
Institutional authority for rules
- Section 10 makes the Director of Aeronautics the principal rule-making implementer for airport and landing field use regulation, subject to Secretary of National Defense approval.
- Section 10 directs rule issuance to cover airport and landing field use, with specific governance focus under the authority to regulate usage.
Revision, repealing effect, and separability
- Section 11 revises Executive Order No. 73 (December 3, 1936), as amended by Executive Order No. 136 (December 30, 1937), accordingly.
- No separability clause or sunset clause appears in the operative provisions of this Order.