By Robina Asido

CLARK, PAMPANGA -- The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) eyes "massive development" of the Kamikaze West Airfield in Pampanga despite calls for its removal by some women 's rights groups.

In an interview with the Daily Manila Shimbun during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the first kamikaze take off in Pampanga on Friday, CIAC, Office of the President and CEO, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Nancy Paglinawan said the improvement of the Kamikaze West Airfield memorial is part of their "urban renewal and heritage conservation program."

"We're planning to improve or introduce massive development in the area so that people will be able to visit this and make it a tourist spot," she said.

"We will develop this shrine, we will make it beautiful aesthetically, we will build magtatayo kami ng ibang facilities here and structures," she added.

Amid calls for the removal of the kamikaze memorials by the rights groups that are supporting the sex slavery victims during the WWII, Paglinawan explained that the event is a commemoration for peace and reconciliation after the war and not the issue of "pro or Japanese bias."

"One of the flagship programs that we have right now is the urban renewal and heritage conservation program and this is one manifestation of the program we continue to actually give importance to old sites of heritage importance like this one," she said.

"Every year we do this event in commemoration of the important event that took place here, the taking off of Kamikaze planes not because we are pro or Japanese bias, no its the aftermath of this historic event is what we are looking at. The peace and reconciliation that ensued after that event," she added.

In a separate interview with the Daily Manila Shimbun, Tokkotai Memorial Foundation, chairman and retired Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) General Shigeru Iwasaki also expressed support for the CIAC plan to develop the Kamikaze West Airfield memorial.

"This is a very tremendous plan. I think our foundation and also the government of Japan has to support this kind of program," he said.

"Yes, As soon as I return to Japan I will report to the government of Japan," he added while expressing his willingness to support the CIAC program to develop the shrine.

Paglinawan said the "massive development" will also include the conversion of the Seki tunnel, a Japanese bore tunnel very near the Kamikaze West Airfield into a museum.

"We're planning to convert this tunnel into a museum, so that people can visit and you know to have some insights on what this area is all about, for awareness," she said.

"We are still in the conceptualization stage. The timeline is, we will be able to complete all of these projects (by) 2028," she added. DMS