Flying in to Clark Airport is so much more of a breeze compared to flying in to Manila. I took a Cebu Pacific flight from Singapore to Clark to spend the Labour Day long weekend in the Philippines. The future international gateway for the country is currently being built at Clark International Airport. It is planned to become one of the world’s biggest in terms of terminal size and land area. A high speed railway system will be built to connect the new airport to Metro Manila. By bus, it is only three hours between Manila and Clark, but more often than not, the traffic can extend the journey to five over hours.

Angeles City is a thriving city often compared to the Philippine capital and largest city, Manila. The city is a booming nightlife center and tourist destination, while the adjoining Clark Freeport Zone is the site of world-class resorts, casinos, duty-free shops, and beautifully landscaped golf courses. Its capital, Balibago, is especially known for its bars and nightclubs, thus tagged the “Entertainment Capital of Central Luzon.”

After meeting my host in Angeles, I was immediately whisked off to the walking street to see the nightlife scene. We ended up in one of the clubs called High Society. It was a Friday night and there were lots of people, from foreigners enjoying the nightlife to lady escorts trying to get business for the night. The music was great and the drinks served were the standard. We stuck to Red Horse throughout the night so that we would not get a hangover. It is a stronger version of the local beer, but it still gave me headache the next day.

The next day, 29 April, there was a sisig festival in Angeles. I was lucky to be in Angeles at the right time to experience it. Actually this city is the gastronomic capital of the Philippines, which I found out after visit the museum of social history. I was introduced to various types of local cuisine and how the influences of American culture were intertwined with the Filipino cuisine, giving rise to unique tastes. At the Sisig Fiesta of Angeles City, the best pork dish of the Philippines was being showcased. The “arguably greatest pork dish on earth”, dubbed by New York Times, the festival was held at the Train Station ‘Crossing’ in Angeles City. This train crossing holds a certain historical significance because  of people in the past who sold sisig along the tracks. Taking advantage of the nostalgia, the ambiance of the place will be recreated reminiscent of the height of its popularity of sizzling sisig in in the 1980’s.

While Angeles City doesn’t get much positive reviews (see the excerpt taken from Lonely Planet below), I think it can be used as a gateway to visit northern Luzon, such as to Baguio or Vigan. One day is enough to see everything in the town, from the old church to the museums and university campus.

Unless you have a flight or a bus transfer at Mabalacat terminal in Dau there’s no reason to visit Clark or Angeles itself, the latter is synonymous with the sex industry in the Philippines. The 10,000 girls and women working the strip of tacky clubs and bars are only the vestiges of the time before the closure of the airbase, when it was estimated that 10 times as many were employed. It’s a grim scene that caters to old sex tourists, and if you’ve got a flight from here it’s better to hang out in the Clark area.

One possible day trip would be the trek to Mt. Pinatubo. Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 but is now open for tourism. It has an elevation of 1485 meters or 4872 feet and a beautiful crater lake where you can swim. This trek can be done on a daytour if you leave very early on the morning. It is important to leave very early in the morning as the permits to visit Pinatubo are usually given out by 8am.

How to go there?

1)  Dau Bus Terminal. There are lots of fast food restaurants at the bus terminal where you can pick up some breakfast/ lunch.
2) Dau bus terminal to Capas, Tarlac. Must depart Dau bus terminal by 05:00 am. Find any bus north bound (Tarlac, Baguio,Urdaneta, Dagupan, Vigan etc.) that will  pass by CAPAS, TARLAC. Get your ticket until Capas, Tarlac only & ask the driver/ conductor to drop you off in front of McDonald’s. Bus cost P45/person one way.
3) Arrive at Capas, Tarlac. Capas to Santa Juliana, Tarlac. Right by McDonalds, there are tricycles that will take you to Santa Juliana (tourist office). Tricycle ride is around 30-40 mins (24km). Last we heard the rate is P300 (max 3 persons, one way).
*Make sure they drop you off at Tourist Office because they will try to sell you the tour for more.
4) Arrive at Santa Juliana, Tarlac. Tour start point. Must be at Santa Juliana by 6am for registration & briefing. Upon arrival at Sta. Juliana town, DO try to team up with other travelers you meet along the way so you can save money on the jeep tour. Tourist Office opens at 5am & closes at 8am. Approximate tour cost with all the fees & lunch is about P2000. Please note there is a P700 charge along the hiking trail.

Stay tuned to my next post to learn more about Cebu!

Have you been to Angeles City? Did it live up to your expectations?