"Angeles City/Clark - Province of... " a Angeles City Travel Page by myspices

Angeles City is in the Province of Pampanga. Angeles (pronounced as "Ang-ker-lis") City , where Clark Airbase is, is known for its sex industry. Today, it is trying to wipe of that "label" and working hard to transform Clark into a vibrant economic zone. Clark is situated on the northwest side of Angeles City and is about 40miles (60km) from Manila.

Brief history .... Clark Air Base (now known as Clark Special Economic Zone) was the former U.S. Air Force Base and has long been the principal aviation centre of the Philippines. It was the largest overseas US military base in the world with 156,204 acres. The base grew up around the old cavalry post's large parade field. The 13th Air Force Headquarters occupied buildings that went back to the early part of the 20th century. There were about 30,000 military and civilians at Clark when the base was active. In April 1991, magma flowing beneath Mt Pinatubo caused thosands of small earthquakes and in June, the volcano was spitting out deadly sulfur dioxide gas. The Air Force started evacuating people from Clark to the US Navy base at Subic Bay by 10 June. On 12 June, Philippines Independence Day, Mt Pinatubo erupted. The mountain lost 300m in height and fine dust and fist-sized fragments of rock rained down on nearby Angeles, Clark Air-base and Subic Bay. The main centres of the sex industry were right in the path of the destruction. To add to this disaster, a terrible typhoon lash on northern Luzon, turning the ash into mobile volcanic mud, which flooded downhill from the volcano, burying 1000 hectares of prime farmland and took more than 1000 lives....

Clark got its name from Maj.Harold M. Clark, of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, the 1st American to fly in Hawaii. Clark died on 2 May 1919 in a seaplane crash in Panama and is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.

Clark in Angeles has now been given special economic status in an attempt to encourage industrial development ... it's heading that way but in a slow manner.

We were at Angeles City and Clark mainly because the budget airline we flew in, lands here - the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. We spent almost a full day here before moving onto our travel to Vigan/Laoag. It was a pretty fun-filled day!

Couple of Places we covered in Angeles and Clark:-
1) SM City/Mall in Clark
2) Relax at Bayanihan Park, Clark
3) Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City
4) Street walk along Casino areas in Angeles City
5) Balibago area

Must try in Pampanga's specialities :-
1) Tocino (honey-cured pork)
2) Longganisa (sausages)

The next trip back to Clark/Angeles City, Must Do :-
1) Mt Pinatubo - majestic jewel-blue crater lake (Mt Pinatubo's summit can be reached in one full day via Capas in Tarlac)
2) Mt Arayat - dormat volcano
3) Hot Air Balloon Festival
4) Mimosa Leisure Estate
5) Fontana Leisure Park

Angeles City is more seedy than Clark. As you walk along the streets during the evening ..... the lights are up and the dull city suddenly turns exciting - little bars and cafes, couple of medium sized casinos...

Clark has become popular among tourists because it's a centre for some thrilling adventure sports - parachuting, microlight flying and off-road motocycling...

The highlight of Clark in every February is the Balloon Festival with lots of colourful hot-air balloons and a race over the volacano.