Welcome to AWA Philippines

The first plane in our fleet, N81708.

The Philippines is a vast array of islands with a current population of 90 million people. Over 7,000 islands are located here with the island of Palawan being called “The Last Frontier” because it is the last unsettled area in the Philippines. It lies within the 10/40 window and is as diverse as the country itself. Palawan is home to many tribal groups such as the Tau Batu, the Batak, the Tagbanua. Interestingly, a Palawano tribe was just discovered as late as 1997, which is an offshoot of the Tau Batu. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction, measuring 280 miles in length and 31 miles wide. It is surrounded by over 1,000 islands.

AWA has had an active project on Palawan since July of 2004. 50 acres of land were acquired in

Village, Aborlan, Palawan in 2005 with the purpose of establishing an airbase to assist with medical evacuation services and evangelism support, in partnership with the Seventh-day Adventist church, for people living in remote areas of the island as well as the many islands that surround Palawan.

The Philippines has exposure to many types of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons. The location of the base at Palawan is ideal in that it is centrally located in the islands. From this location, AWA pilots can also respond to natural disasters that occur anywhere in the Philippines within a few hours and assist with transporting emergency supplies and personnel.

Initially, AWA will be placing a Cessna 182 on Palawan. It is the original Pathfinder I airplane dedicated years ago at the 1999 “Discover the Power” International Pathfinder Camporee. Laura LaBore will be the pilot tasked with beginning flight operations on Palawan. She is very familiar with this particular aircraft as she flew this same plane in Guyana, South America for several years. As needs are identified, it is highly likely that a 206 and caravan for over water flights and a helicopter for mountain support will be added to the fleet