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CITY CITY OF OF ANGELS
ANGELS
Residents of Angeles feel defensive, even hurt, when outsiders
make fun of it as “the city of angels,” which is a euphemism
for place of ill repute. The notoriety, Angeleños argue, is exaggerated
because the so-called red district is but a small street
called Fields Avenue that’s located far from city proper, near
the gate of the former US military base. In fact, they add, neither
customers nor hostesses are from Angeles; the former are
either transient servicemen or retired veterans, while the latter
are immigrants from other provinces.
Actually, taverns started appearing in the town as early as
the American colonial period, when Fort Stotsenberg was first
put up near the town proper before being relocated to what will
eventually become Clark Air Base. The notorious area called,
well, “Area” was a row of brothels during pistaym (peace time,
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ANGELES 1913-1991: BASTION OF CATHOLICISM BY DAY, SIN CITY BY NIGHT
Bars for the benefit of American soldiers
started operating in Angeles as early as 1913
A heritage house in Angeles, circa 1960s, converted into a business establishment catering to US servicemen (Larry Galinato)
“More than 300 bars packed a strip of
highway connecting old Angeles with Clark
Air Base. They range from plush palaces
with chanteuses from Manila, to holes-inthe-wall
with brutal strip-teases and dancers
whose faces couldn’t stand more light than
25-watt frosted bulbs.” Renato “Katoks” Tayag
One of the girls in Balibago, near Fields Avenue (Tom Utts)
or the period before World War II), located near what is now the
Pampang Market. “Area” was (and some say, is) the place for
local men and boys to be devirginized; in those days, all it took
was P2.50 (P5.00 if you wanted the more private cubicle.
It was also around this time that nightclubs (called
“kabarets”), kiosks and hotels sprouted along Sto. Entierro Street
and Sto. Rosario Street, scandalously close to the parish church,
because that was the town’s main business district. From the
Deposito all the way to the San Nicolas public market area, and
even beyond, from the Family Theatre/Rabbit Station area to