Naval Station Sangley Point

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This article is about the former U.S. Naval Station - Sangley Point. For its current operations as a Philippine military base, see Danilo Atienza Air Base, (PAF) and Naval Base Cavite, (PN)
U.S. Naval Station Sangley Point
US Naval Station Sangley Point insignia.png
Cavite, Philippines
Type Military Base
Site information
Controlled by United States Navy
Site history
Built 1898
In use 1898 - 1971 (U.S. Naval Facility)
Airfield information
Direction Length Surface
ft m
07/25 7,769 2,367 Asphalt

Naval Station Sangley Point was a communication and hospital facility of the United States Navy which occupied the northern portion of the Cavite City peninsula and is surrounded by Manila Bay, approximately eight miles southwest of Manila, the Philippines. The station was a part of the Cavite Naval Shipyard across the peninsula. The naval station had a runway that was built after World War II, which was used by U.S. Navy P-2 Neptune and P-3 Orion patrol planes. An adjacent seaplane runway, ramp area and seaplane tender berths also supported P5M Marlin patrol planes until that type's retirement from active naval service in the mid-1960s. NAS Sangley Point/NAVSTA Sangley Point was also used extensively during the Vietnam War, primarily for U.S. Navy patrol squadrons forward deployed from the United States on six month rotations. The naval station was turned over to the Philippine government in 1971. It is now operated by the Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy.

Spanish Period[edit]

The Spanish colonial government in the Philippines, which had ruled the Philippines since 1571, found a useful purpose for the tiny peninsula across the bay. Ever distrustful of the Chinese merchants who called on every port from Japan to the Arabian peninsula, the Spanish passed laws restricting their entry into the capital city of Manila. These Chinese merchants, then known as sangleys, could, however, sell their wares across the bay from the city on the narrow strip of land that would eventually bear their name. In addition to their role as international traders, Chinese artisans and craftsmen were employed as inexpensive labor by the Spanish shipbuilders who built ships at Sangley that were used in the galleon trade route between Manila and Acapulco.

In 1871 the Spanish established a naval hospital, managed by the Sisters of Charity, at Cañacao near the western end of the peninsula. In addition, as the age of sail began to wane and the age of steam was ushered in, the eastern end of Sangley Point became a coaling station and support facility for the Spanish naval base located just across Cañacao Bay at the Cavite naval yard.

American Period[edit]

Battle of Manila Bay[edit]

Cavite Navy Yard in 1899.

In 1898, diplomatic relations between the United States and Spain were strained by events related to the insurrection taking place on the Spanish island of Cuba.










Sangley continued to serve essentially the same function for the U.S. Navy as it had for the Spanish navy. The coaling facilities on the eastern end continued to supply the Navy with coal until ships converted to oil when a tank farm was established.

The Cañacao Naval Hospital Reservation was established on the western end. The US Navy continued to operate the hospital started by the Spanish. In the mid-1920s a modern new hospital was built as part of a major construction project to modernize the facility. The new hospital continued to serve the Navy and the local population until early 1942. It was destroyed during World War II.

Three 600-foot (180 m) steel antenna towers were erected in 1915 for the operation of a powerful radio communications station, named Radio Sangley. Later on, a submarine support facility was established. The Cavite Navy Yard, just across Cañacao Bay, became the major ship repair facility for the Asiatic fleet. However, World War II and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines interrupted operations in 1942.

World War II[edit]


The first bombing by the Japanese on December 10, 1941, heavily damaged the Cavite Navy Yard. Japanese forces occupied Cavite in January 1942. the Japanese continued to use Sangley and Cavite for basically the same purpose. They rehabilitated and expanded the facilities and used them for repair of their own craft and construction of small wooden vessels for coastal shipping of supplies. American carrier-based planes first bombed the repair facility in September 1944. The Cavite Navy Yard was again badly damaged, as were most of the hospital buildings at Cañacao.

On March 20, 1945, units of the Seventh Fleet landed on Sangley Point, ridding the area of the remaining Japanese. Within a month, ACORN-45 arrived and set up an advance base maintenance organization under Commander Donald W. Darby. They immediately began construction of an airstrip in preparation for the attack on the Japanese mainland.

Post-War Years[edit]

The base maintenance organization was officially designated Naval Air Base, Sangley Point in 1945. Early in 1955, top echelon planners of the Navy recognized the importance of Sangley Point services and designated it a permanent facility. Later, after the establishment of Naval Air Station Cubi Point at Subic Bay, the designation was changed to Naval Station Sangley Point in accordance with the treaty with the Philippine government which allowed for only one official naval air station.

The Naval Station Sangley Point was not large, encompassing an area of only 341 acres (1.38 km2). Half of which was occupied by its most valuable asset: the 8,000-foot (2,400 m) runway and its associated air-operations facilities and air-navigational aids. The primary mission of Sangley was to provide maintenance, support, and materials for the regional operations of U.S. Seventh Fleet.

Sangley Point in the mid-1960s.

The base was the headquarters of Commander U.S. Naval Forces Philippines/Commander-in-Chief Pacific Representative Philippines (COMNAVPHIL/CINCPACREPPHIL), which was considered to be the most important activity supported by Naval Station Sangley Point.

It also supported two patrol squadrons of sea planes, deployed on Sangley on a rotational basis to help fulfill the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines. During the Korean War these were activated Naval Reserve Squadrons.

The Coast Guard Air Station and the Coast Guard Ship Nettle played a vital role in search-and-rescue operations and in the maintenance of remote long-range aid-to navigation (LORAN) stations located throughout the Philippines. The Fleet Weather Facility was tasked with furnishing weather information to ships and aircraft operating in the Western Pacific and East China Sea areas.

Naval Station Sangley Point also provided support for a Fleet Air Wing detachment, a Naval Communications Center, Marine Barracks, a Recruiting Detachment, and Navy Exchange and Commissary Stores.

John Paul Jones School[edit]

In 1945, upon the return of the Americans and in anticipation of the possible allied invasion of the Japanese mainland, an 8,000-foot (2,400 m) runway was constructed, along with the associated air operations and maintenance facilities. The invasion never took place, but Sangley's importance as a support facility for the Seventh Fleet continued to grow. So did its complement of Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, and civilian personnel.

As the number military personnel at Sangley grew, so did the need to provide accommodations and facilities for the dependents that would ultimately accompany them. Not the least of these facilities, of course, would be a school. With this in mind, a group of Quonset huts was designated, and in August 1948 the first dependent's school was opened at Sangley Point.

The school comprised Grades 1-7 with only 65 students. As the number of dependents increased, the school began to grow, eventually adding a kindergarten and the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades. Ultimately, in 1963, the Department of the Navy added 11th and 12th grades.

The school comprised a series of quonset huts linked together with a central corridor. The original buildings were constructed on concrete piers with wooden floors, but the newer ones on the eastern end were built on concrete slabs. All the buildings, however, were metal Quonset huts. The entire school grounds was enclosed by a fence made primarily of Marsden Matting.

As the school grew, it remained nameless for more than ten years until 1959, when a contest was held among the students to name their own school. The prize of a U.S. Savings Bond went to Jackie Newell ('56-'59) for choosing a name which commemorated the American naval hero of the Revolutionary War, John Paul Jones (JPJ).

In 1967, JPJ came under the supervision of the United States Air Force and was incorporated into the District II, Pacific Area, Department of Defense Dependent Schools. In March 1968, it was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. By now, there were 650 students at JPJ from kindergarten to the 12th grade; ten times the number that was first enrolled in 1948. By 1970, that number would swell to 690. Plans were in the works for the construction of a new school when official word came on December 10, 1970, that Naval Station Sangley Point was to terminate operations as a U.S. facility.

On June 30, 1971, after almost 23 years of service, John Paul Jones School was officially closed. The very next day, Naval Station Sangley Point changed status from active to inactive.


Overhead view of the Sangley Point facilities in the 1960s.



A total of 2,500 tons and 1,500,000 cubic feet (42,000 m3) of material assets were identified, packed and shipped by sea and land to various other U.S. military bases. Much of this transfer was accomplished at night and on weekends due to severely restricted barge and trucking schedules.


On September 1, 1971, the base was officially turned over to the government of the Philippines, ending 73 years as a U.S. Naval facility. It is currently used as a facility of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force. William J. Mitzel and his wife Barbara were the last US personnel to occupy quarters on the installation. Mr. Mitzel was responsible for the final turn over and lived on the installation with his wife, when the turn over was completed.[1]

Sangley Point in present day[edit]

Danilo Atienza Air Base, Philippine Air Force[edit]

The air base was renamed Major Danilo Atienza Air Base in honor for Major Atienza's actions during the 1989 coup attempt in which he destroyed several T-28 Trojan belonging to the rebels. But he was killed when his F-5A Freedom Fighter crashed during his attacking maneuver .

Naval Base Heracleo Alano (Naval Base Cavite), Philippine Navy[edit]

Main article: Naval Base Cavite

Location for New Manila International Airport[edit]

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has chosen Sangley Point in Cavite City as the location of the new airport, virtually shelving proposal of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to build on reclaimed land in Manila Bay.[2]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Stiegelmar, Loren (2001), A Brief History of Sangley Point
  2. ^ Bayos, Kris (Manila Bulletin, July 3, 2014) Sangley chosen as site of new airport

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 14°29′28.74″N 120°53′37.99″E﻿ / ﻿14.4913167°N 120.8938861°E﻿ / 14.4913167; 120.8938861