Tourist Attractions in Angeles City & Pampanga

Fort Stotsenburg, named after Colonel John M. Stotsenburg, a Captain of the 6th US Cavalry, was the location of the first permanent quarters of the American forces in Sapang Bato, Angeles. It is also known as the "Parade Ground," which served as a venue for many important celebrations by the Americans before the US-RP Military Bases Agreement ended in 1991.

Old Pamintuan Residence was served as the seat of government of the First Philippine Republic under General Emilio Aguinaldo from May to July 1899 and the Central Headquarter for Major General Arthur McArthur. It now houses the Central Bank of the Philippines in Central Luzon.

Founders' Residence (Bale Matua), located at the heart of Santo Rosario, is the oldest building in the city. It was built in 1824 by the city founder, Don Ángel Pantaleón de Miranda, and his wife, Doña Rosalia de Jesus, and was inherited by Doña Juana de Miranda de Henson, the only daughter of Angeles City’s founders. This house, which is made of high stone wall and an ornate gate, nostalgically symbolizes the glorious past of Angeles amidst the overwhelming onslaughts of modernization.

Post Office Building (Deposito) is a building that was constructed in 1899 for the purpose of depositing Catholic religious statues and carriages of the church, hence the name Deposito. It was also used as the headquarter of the 11th Film Exchange US Army from 1946 to 1947 and was then used as a jailhouse for recalcitrant US troops during the Philippine-American War. On February 6, 1967, the Angeles City Post Office moved to this building. It is now the site of Angeles Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Center.

Camalig was built in 1840 by Don Ciriaco de Miranda, the first gobernadorcillo or town head of Angeles, and was used as a grain storehouse along Santo Rosario Street. It was restored in 1980 by Armando L. Nepomuceno and is now the site of Armando's Pizza and Camalig Restaurant.

Holy Rosary Church (Santo Rosario Church) was constructed from 1877 to 1896 by the "Polo y Servicio" labor system, a kind of forced labor imposed on Filipino peasants by the Spanish colonial government. It was used as a military hospital by the US Army from August 1899 to December 1900. Its backyard was the execution ground to the Spanish forces in shooting down Filipino rebels and suspects.

Holy Family Academy Building was served as a military hospital of the US Army in 1900 and later as the troop barracks, officers' quarters and arsenal by the Japanese Imperial Military Forces in 1942.
Museo ning Angeles used to be a municipal hall and it periodically features exhibits on the history, culture, the tradition of the city and its people.

Bale Herencia, built in 1860, is situated in Lakandula Street corner Santo Rosario Street. It is a picturesque house with the unsavory reputation of having been built for the mistress of a parish priest. The current owners now use it as a banquet hall.

Juan D. Nepomuceno's Center for Kapampangan Studies houses a library, museum of archives and gallery, research center and theater, put up by the Holy Angel University in 2002 to preserve, study and promote Kapampangan history and culture.

Lily Hill is a strategic observation post for monitoring Japanese movement in World War II. Remains of Japanese aircraft were found here at the end of the war. Along this hill can now be found Lily Hill Duty Free Store.

Mount Pinatubo is now an inactive volcano that brought devastation by its eruption in 1991 and forced the US military base to abandon this city. Trekking the volcano's slope and dipping into the crater's turquoise-blue waters is truly an adventure of a lifetime.

Apu Chapel is the shrine of the Our Lord of the Holy Sepulchre (Apung Mamacalulu). Devotees pay their homage to the shrine every Friday.

Expo Pilipino is where the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 was held. Today, its 35,000-seating capacity amphitheater is a favorite venue for concerts, ecumenical services and political rallies. Nayong Pilipino is adjacent to this site.
Nayong Pilipino offers a good and educational alternative road trip destination in the country.

Kapampangan Museum (Clark Museum) features the history of the US military in the Philippines, Philippine military history and a Mount Pinatubo exhibit. It also showcases Clark as a former US military base and its metamorphosis into a special economic zone and then as a world-class aviation and business metropolis as depicted in pictures, dioramas, replicas, murals and artifacts.

Bayanihan Park (formerly Astro Park) is home to a year-round mini-amusement park and it is an ideal spot for sports and recreational activities having basketball and volleyball courts and huge space for jogging and other recreational activities. This is where the famous and historical "Salakot Arch" is now located.

Salakot Arch is a landmark of Angeles City. From 1902 to 1979, Clark remained a US territory, guaranteed by the Military Bases Agreement (MBA) in 1947. In 1978, the Philippines and the US agreed to establish Philippine sovereignty over the US bases and thus the Clark Air Base Command (CABCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines came into being, following the signing of a revised MBA on January 7, 1979. To commemorate this event, the government constructed a special structure based upon the design of a salakot or native hat, which soon became a widely recognized symbol of this new spirit in the long tradition of Philippine-American relations.

Clark Special Economic Zone or Clark Freeport Zone (formerly Clark Air Base), now the site of the Philippine Air Force and once the largest US military base outside of the United States, is home to a number of resorts, golf ranges, casinos and high-class hotels. Duty free shops, foreign and local investment companies, and a number of call centers can also be found inside the freeport.

Kapampangan Cuisine
Pampanga is populated by resourceful hardy folk who are justifiably proud of their famous Kapampangan cuisine. Sisig is pork cheek, grilled to a crunchy perfection, chopped and mixed with chicken liver, onions, calamansi and fresh sili. Kamaru are mole crickets sautéed in garlic and onion. Other must-taste fare are pindang babi or damulag, which is sweet cured pork or carabeef; burung talangka, which comes from the fat of salt-preserved little crabs; buro, or fermented rice with small shrimps; and betute, or stuffed frog.

Christmas Lanterns
Every third of December, the City of San Fernando mounts the very popular Giant Lantern Festival. It is a parade of ornate and cleverly illuminated giant lanterns, some of which reach up to 40 feet in diameter and make use of as many as 1,600 light bulbs.

Cutud Lenten Rites
The City of San Fernando is world-famous for the Cutud Lenten Rites, which are held every Good Friday, or the Friday before Easter. The rites are a re-enactment of Christ's Passion and Death, complete with a passion play, culminating with the actual nailing of at least three flagellants to a wooden cross atop the makeshift Calvary.

Mt. Arayat
Located in Arayat, it is a dormant volcano with an area of 3, 715.28 hectares. Legend says it is the home of Mariang Sinukwan, a fairy who protects the mountain's vegetation and wildlife. At the foot of the mountain is Mt. Arayat National Park, a picnic site with lush foliage, natural waterfalls, two swimming pools, and a countless variety of unique and interesting flora and fauna.

Mt. Pinatubo / Lahar Area
The world-famous eruption of Mt. Pinatubo was heralded the world over as the biggest geologic upheaval of the 20th century. The Mt. Pinatubo Sky Tour takes visitors to a breathtaking view of the volcano that once ravaged Central Luzon. An annual Pinatubo trek, known as "A March to Peace and Tranquility," is held every November 30 to commemorate the great eruption. An ecumenical worship highlights the annual sojourn.

Kalinangan (formerly Paskuhan Village)
Envisioned to be the showcase of North Philippines' history and culture, it boasts of an array of colorful festivals, street performances, indigenous arts and crafts, food and delicacies. Located in the City of San Fernando, Kalinangan is the venue for the region's cultural exhibits, trading post, and center for culinary arts.

Festivals

Angeles has a number of places of interest and a couple of festivals it can call its own.

Tigtigan Terakan Keng Dalan translates to "Music and Dancing in the Streets" and is an annual all-night party on the streets of Angeles, usually lasting 2 to 3 days at the end of October. It features music from amateur and OPM bands and is attended by celebrities and citizens alike. This event is used to celebrate the Octoberfest.

Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta is held every year between January and February and 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.

Sisig Festival is held annually in the month of December, celebrating the Kapampangan dish, sisig, which said to have been originated in this city.

Mount Pinatubo Trekking is highly recommended for trekking or hiking enthusiasts who like to have the most memorable trip to this once deadly volcano. One would have the experience to board a 4x4 which will head to lahar country passing some rough terrain, gray, barren mountains interspersed with green, lush mountains. Upon reaching the summit, you would definitely enjoy the spectacular clear blue, pristine waters surrounded by mountains.

Mount Pinatubo Aerial Tours is for you if you want to have the best seat to view the volcano that once ravaged Central Luzon. Considered one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century, the eruption affected global weather patterns. Having been dormant for centuries, Mount Pinatubo erupted anew in 1991, spewing an ash plume that spread across the globe. Have a bird's-eye-view of the crater, surreal ash canyons and the remnants of the once-devastating lahar flows.

Parachuting/Skydiving has to be one of the very best ways to view the surrounding countryside. The Tropical Asia Parachute Center (TAPC) operates from Clark Freeport Zone. The center provides student training, including both tandem and static line parachuting, and advanced training. Costs are very reasonable and if you have considered trying this sport before, take advantage while visiting the Philippines.

Ultra-light Flying is one sport that is definitely growing. If you want your senses get heightened and your heart pound as the wind whistles through your hair, this is for you! This is organized by the Angeles City Flying Club. The area also offers many additional attractions, from diving to cycling to hiking to night clubbing.

Drive Off-Road is an off-road challenge where you can take on a wild, bumpy, ride in old four-wheel-drive jeeps in a safari-like journey across the dusty expanse of the valley to a campsite. It is organized by the Angeles City Four Wheelers Club and is ideal for trekking and be able to see the lahar canyons, Gate of Heaven and other sites in Mount Pinatubo.

Golf, world-class golf courses, such as Holiday Inn Golf and Resort, Fontana Resort, Angeles Sports and Country Club, and J&K Golf are the recommended golf courses for those so inclined.

Lawn Bowling is the only one in the country and is offered at the Hidden Vale and Angeles Sports and Country Club, a mature 11.34 hectare site which includes a nine-hole golf course, luxurious penthouse suites and driving range.

Visit the Pool Resorts, though Angeles has no beaches, it has a number of resorts to choose from, including Clearwater Country Club, Angeles Beach Club (ABC), Fontana, Oasis, Holiday Inn Resort, Amando's, Villa Alfredo's, Villa Antonina, and Greenville, some just slightly outside the boundries of the city.

Drag and Go-Kart Racing is organized by the Angeles Hot Rod Association (AHRA), the oldest drag racing in the Philippines. You can find this attraction at the Omni Aviation inside the Clark Ecozone. AHRA is where you will find most of the big V8 muscle cars, as well as many "bangers." In addition to race meets, they also organize and run regular classic and custom car shows, swap meets, social events and more.

Gambling, being renowned as a city with high concentration of casinos, such as Casino Filipino-Angeles, Casino Filipino-Mimosa, Fontana Casino, and Casablanca Casino, Angeles offers a variety of activities that will keep leisure travelers definitely happy.

Play Pool in a city of great champions like Efren Reyes and Rodolfo Luat. Angeles has an abundance of pool tables to play all along the Fields Avenue and hundreds of other places in the city.

Mount Arayat Trek is available November through May.

source: Department of Tourism

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About Angeles

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Angeles Hotels

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This page was last modified on Friday, 26 Sep 2008