'Angeles City' (
Tagalog: ''Lungsod ng Angeles'';
Kapampangan: ''Ciudad ning Angeles''), geographically located within the province of
Pampanga in the
Philippines, is locally classified as a
first-class, highly urbanized city.
[1] According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 267,788.
[2]
On the north-western part is the
Clark Special Economic Zone (formerly Clark Air Base) and the city is served by the
Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.
[3] As the former home of the biggest American base outside of the United States mainland, it was significantly affected by the base pull-out brought about by the eruption of
Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
[4]
Endowed with economic and business opportunities, Angeles is dubbed as the "Entertainment Capital of Central Luzon."
[5][6][7]
Sisig is one dish that exemplifies all these and is a favorite dish among Filipinos which, according to Center for Kapampangan Studies, originated from this city and has been at the menu since the 1730s, thus it has also become known as the culinary center in Pampanga.
[8][9] [10]
History
In
1796, the Capitan-Mayor of
San Fernando, Don Ángel Pantaleón de Miranda, along with some followers, staked out a new settlement which they named Kuliat, because of the abundance of vines of that name in the area. Located some 20 miles north of the capital city of Pampanga, Kuliat remained a barrio of San Fernando for the next 33 years, becoming a separate town in
1829, at which time it was renamed Ángeles, after "Los Custodios de los Ángeles." By
December 8,
1829, when it received its first official municipal charter, the town contained some 661 people, 151 houses, and an area of 38.65 km².
[11][4]
As for the city itself, Angeles remained fairly small until the end of
World War II, and then entered a period of tremendous growth that has resulted in its present position as the "Premier City in Central Luzon."
[13] The first
American government of Angeles was established by General
Frederick D. Grant on
January 1,
1900 and 64 years later to that day, Angeles received official Philippine recognition as a city.
Many
Americans chose to permanently settle in Angeles (particularly in the Balibago district) after the country gained independence from the United States in 1946. The Americans until the mid-1990s had a heavy population in the city due to the presence of the US base. During the American colonial period (1898-1946), more than 800,000 Americans were born in the Philippines and a large concentration of
Filipinos with American ancestry are located in this city.
[14][15][16] Since the early days of Clark Air Base, Fields Avenue has become
known as a center for
prostitution,
[17][18][19][20] which increased greatly after the end of World War II.
[21][22] Recently, Fields Avenue has been transformed from a honky-tonk area frequently visited by the US servicemen into a tourist-belt by the local government of Angeles and Clark Development Corporation to change the image attached to it as a ''former rest and recreation area'' for GI Joes.
[23][24]
In 1991, Angeles was affected by the eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo, with up to 60,000 people being
evacuated from the city. Clark Air Base was evacuated and the 18,000 personnel and their families were transported to
Subic Bay Naval Base in Zambales, most of whom were returned to the United States. With their current lease set to expire, the US military never returned to Clark, turning over the damaged base to the Philippine government on November 26, 1991.
[25][26][27]
In 1993, cleanup and removal of volcanic ash deposits began. The former base re-emerged as
Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and in 2001,
Clark International Airport was renamed
Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, in memory of the current President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's father,
Diosdado Macapagal, the ninth Philippine president and a native of the province of Pampanga. The airfield infrastructure was improved and destined to be the premiere airport in the country in the next five years and one of the most modern in Asia.
[28] Angeles and Clark together now form the hub for business, industry, aviation, and tourism as well as the entertainment and gaming center of Central Luzon.
[29]
Barangays
Angeles City is politically subdivided into 33
barangays.
★ Agapito del Rosario
★ Amsic
★ Anunas
★ Balibago
★ Capaya
★ Claro M. Recto
★ Cuayan
★ Cutcut
★ Cutud
★ Lourdes North West
★ Lourdes Sur |
★ Lourdes Sur East
★ Malabañas
★ Margot
★ Marisol (Ninoy Aquino)
★ Mining
★ Pampang (Sto. Niño)
★ Pandan
★ Pulungbulo
★ Pulung Cacutud
★ Pulung Maragul
★ Salapungan |
★ San Jose
★ San Nicolas
★ Santa Teresita
★ Santa Trinidad
★ Santo Cristo
★ Santo Domingo
★ Santo Rosario (Poblacion)
★ Sapalibutad
★ Sapang Bato
★ Tabun
★ Virgen Delos Remedios |
Economy
The economy of Angeles City has accelerated in the past decade, driven by advances in global communication technology, the establishment of fine restaurants and luxury hotels/resorts and the finishing of a road, such as the
Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, that has tremendously improved trade and transport.
[30][29][32] The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway project will connect the industrial, transport and business hubs of Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan, and Tarlac. The timely completion of the project this year is crucial in bolstering growth in
Central Luzon.
[33][34][35] The city also has a cottage industry that includes
rattan furniture business and the production of
coconuts,
charcoal and
briquettes.
[36]
Call Centers in Clark, namely
AOL, CyberCity, Sutherland, and IRMC, and other American IT industries are major employers as well.
[3][38][39] The establishment of a number of shopping malls also fueled the city's economy, including SM City-Clark, Robinson's Place, Jenra Grand Mall, Nepo Mall, Saver's Mall and the proposed Ayala Shopping Mall, next to the City Hall.
[40][41][42]
Education
Welfare groups and NGOs
★ 'The Philippine Children's Fund of America'
[44] - is an American charity dedicated to provide educational, medical, health and nutritional programs to needy children while addressing community empowerment through the provision of training and livelihood opportunities to many Filipino families.
[45]
★ 'The Loving Care Street Kids Foundation' - offers three free meals a day to impoverished children in Pampanga. The center also offers programs and events for social interaction, and helps children with their educational costs for tuition and school supplies.
[46]
★ 'Bahay Bata Center' - is a project launched by the
Clark Centennial Rotary in 2001 to assist and provide shelter for the said children.
[47]
★ 'ReachOut Foundation International' - with funding from
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), PATH, and FHI, launched a comprehensive AIDS/STD prevention program targeting female adult entertainers and their partners.
[48]
★ Women’s organizations include Women’s Legal Bureau, Ing Makababaying Aksyon Foundation
[49], the Nagkakaisang Kababaihan ng Angeles City Multi-Purpose Cooperative (NKAC or United Women of Angeles City Multi-Purpose Cooperative)
[50], and the Women’s Health Care Foundation (WEDPRO), which actively sponsors a clinic in the city.
Festivals and local celebrations
★ '
Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta' - is held annually between January and February at Clark Field, Angeles City, Pampanga. It features multicolored hot air balloons with more than a hundred balloon pilots from around the world and considered to be the biggest aviation sports event in the country
[1].
★ 'La Naval Fiesta' - is held every second Sunday of October in commemoration of the Virgin of the Holy Rosary, whose intercession saw the victory of the Spanish fleet over the Dutch invaders. The city celebrates this fiesta with typical religious programs and homes display the finest traditions of hospitality in entertaining guests with the finest food and drinks
[2].
★ '
Tigtigan Terakan keng Dalan' - is held every last Friday and Saturday night of October. It is a street party which lasts up to the wee hours of the following day. In the last years, roads in Balibago are closed and are used as party dance floor, and is the biggest street party held each year in the city; But now, they celebrate it outside SM City-Clark
[3].
★ 'Fiestang Apu' - is held on the last Friday of October. Devotees from all over Pampanga flock to the Apu shrine every Friday to venerate the supposedly miraculous image of Jesus Christ lying in the
sepulcher. It is also every Friday when people buy household items, clothing, including audio-video equipment in a makeshift market called "tiangge" at bargain prices
[4].
★ '
Sisig Festival (Sadsaran Qng Angeles)' - is also held every year in the month of December, celebrating the Kapampangan dish sisig. It used to be held along the stretch of McArthur Highway in Balibago but is now celebrated at SM City-Clark
[5].
Notable Angeleños
★
Lea Salonga - is a Tony Award-winning singer and actress who is best known for her portrayal of Kim in the musical,
Miss Saigon. She spent the first six years of her childhood in Angeles City before moving to Manila.
[51] [52] [53]
★
apl.de.ap (''a.k.a. Allan Pineda Lindo'') - is a member of the Grammy-award winning group,
The Black Eyed Peas, and was born in Sapang Bato, Angeles City. He is famous throughout the Filipino community after the release of his life story of his homeland Philippines in a song called "
The Apl Song" found on the Peas' 2003 album ''
Elephunk''.
[54] [55] [56]
★
Vanessa Minnillo - is an American television personality born in Clark Air Base, Angeles City and raised in
Seattle,
Washington and
Charleston, South Carolina. She was Miss Teen USA 1998 and was a host on MTV's Total Request Live.
[57] [58]
★
Efren "Bata" Reyes - is referred to as "The Magician" and a very popular Filipino billiards player. He is considered to be one of history's greatest practitioners of billiards.
[59] [60]
★
Cris Judd - is an American actor and popular choreographer to Michael Jackson and Usher, but he is best known for his failed marriage to American actress, Jennifer Lopez. He was born in Clark Air Base and spent his childhood years there.
[61] [62] [63]
★
Eliza Pineda - is a popular child star, portraying the lead role in ABS-CBN's
Maria Flordeluna.
[64]
★
Arwind Santos - is a local basketball player, playing for Far Eastern University in the UAAP and the Magnolia Ice Cream Spinners in the Philippine Basketball League. He was selected PBL's Most Valuable Player (2004), two-time UAAP Men's Basketball MVP (2004-2005), and one-time UAAP Men's Basketball Finals Most Valuable Player (2005).
[65] [66]
★
Donita Rose - although she was born in the US, she moved to Angeles City, where her American father was stationed at Clark Air Base, when she was five years old. She went on to become a famous local actress and MTV VJ in Asia.
[67] [68] [69] [70]
★
Rodolfo Luat - is one of the highest-ranking pool players of the Philippines. He holds many Asian individual and team titles and has been popularly known as "Boy Samson" since the 1970s because of his powerful break.
[71] [72]
★
Peter Valdes - is a US-based Software Entrepreneur who was awarded one of the ''10 Most Inspiring Technopreneurs in the Philippines in 2006.'' He was a co-founder of the globally successful
Tivoli Software (an IBM Company).
[73][74][75]
References
1. List of Cities
2. Angeles City: Population Growth Rate Increased by 3.14 Percentage Points
3. http://www.clarksubicmarketing.com/clark.htm
4. http://www.touristcenter.com.ph/philippines/information/angeles.html
5. http://www.pearloftheorientseas.com/category/angeles-city-pampanga/
6. http://alltravelnetwork.com/philippines/travelinfo/angelesinfo.html
7. http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:JEEfBNNjRj8J:vic.apan-info.net/AllPrimers/PampangaProvincePhilippines-9-6-00.doc
8. ‘MANYAMAN’ in Pampanga means "delicious… masarap"!
9. Angeles City
10. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/may/06/yehey/life/20060506lif3.html
11. http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~camiling/towns.htm
12. http://www.touristcenter.com.ph/philippines/information/angeles.html
13. 19 http://www.clarkton.com/angeles-city.htm
14. http://www.angelescity.ph/article_details.php?sbiz_id=1&PHPSESSID=21137ae8bdbd56da75a13dcf0cc0e4f3
15. http://www.retire-asia.com/retire-phil.shtml
16. http://www.experiencephilippines.ph/exphv2/Global/pinoyatbp.php?act=20070731204456265
17. In the clubs of the Filipino sex trade, a former RUC officer is back in business Kathy Marks
18. The Forgotten Angels
19. Philippines-Children: Scourge of Child Prostitution
20. Sex Tourism Is Big Money for Pimps and Politicians
21. Inquiry into Prostitution, Final Report
22. Country Report: Philippines
23. http://www.clark.com.ph/
24. http://www.visitclark.com/pdf/clark_monitor/2005/Clark-Monitor-Nov&Dec05-Issue.pdf
25. Mount Pinatubo Eruption: The Volcanic Eruption of 1991 that Cooled the Planet
26. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/clark.htm
27. http://coconuter.blogspot.com/2007/03/ruins.html
28. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2007/06/27/clark.airport.to.post.millionth.int.l.passenger.html
29. http://www.travelph.com/resorts/Clark/index.htm
30. http://www.asiatravel.com/manila/pampangainfo.html
31. http://www.travelph.com/resorts/Clark/index.htm
32. http://www.globalpinoy.com/travel/province/pampanga.php
33. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pam/2006/10/04/news/official.told.to.push.for.subic.clark.junction.in.angeles.html
34. http://www.bcda.gov.ph/philnews.asp?item=157
35. http://www.gov.ph/news/default.asp?i=7880
36. http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/place_details.asp?content=thingstodo&province=12
37. http://www.clarksubicmarketing.com/clark.htm
38. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/aug/04/yehey/prov/20070804pro4.html
39. http://www.asminternational.org/Template.cfm?Section=NewsReleases1&template=/PressRelease/PressReleaseDisplay.cfm&PressReleaseID=1112&News=1
40. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/mar/09/yehey/business/20070309bus5.html
41. http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=75328
42. http://www.bworld.com.ph/content.php?id=101
43. http://www.ssc.edu.ph/mbst/mbst/hfa-.htm
44. http://www.pinoykids.org
45. Philippine Children's Fund
46. http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/01/jun01/ed061901a.html
47. http://www.bahaybata.org/
48. http://www.aegis.org/conferences/iac/2002/D11246.html
49. http://www.collectivejourneys.org/orgs/phil.html
50. http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/mhvbt.htm
51. http://www.s9.com/Biography/Salonga-Lea
52. http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/lea+salonga/biography.html
53. http://www.koleksyon.com/showbiz/features/artist/lea_salonga.asp
54. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1440764/bio
55. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=69181
56. http://black_eyed_peas.blog23.com/note/970/apldeap.html
57. http://my.opera.com/cbjohnso/blog/show.dml/395007
58. http://peety-passion.com/peetypassion/2007/07/23/former-teen-usa-vanessa-minnillo/
59. http://www.easypooltutor.com/bios1.html
60. http://jcarlosanchez.tripod.com/Efren.html
61. http://www.bboythemovie.com/info.html
62. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1085698/bio
63. http://www.carouselpinoy.com/olivercarnayoct2005.html
64. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1641264/bio
65. http://uaap-governing-bodies.adanoo.com/
66. http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/aug1106/sports4.htm
67. http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=7065
68. http://www.amiannoying.com/(S(oxtqesfuu4q3hw55etkp0345))/view.aspx?id=13259&collection=821
69. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/feb/28/yehey/life/20070228lif2.html
70. http://www.workspresso.com/20070601%20edition/archives/dec1-15-04/current/features_current/feature1.html
71. http://www.azbilliards.com/2000storya.cfm?storynum=3689
72. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79226187.html
73. http://www.vintasystems.com/company/news.asp?read=0
74. http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2006/04/24/story2.html?page=1
75. http://www.e-servicesphils.com/en/news.php?page=29
External links
★
eK! - electronic Kabalen: a Pampanga-based Kapampangan journal of ideas
★
Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA)
★
Angeles City Department of Tourism
★
Clark Freeport Zone
★
WOW Philippines
★
Clark Development Corporation
★
Clark Air Base
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
