Angeles

Bright lights, glitz and glamour are what characterise the Angeles of today; a city that only emerged from beneath layers of lava and ash following the destructive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the 1990s. And what a re-emergence it was, apparently beating to a hedonistic tune, complete with neon-clad casinos and enough all-night drinking joints to please any ex-pat. In this self-styling as a Vegas remake of the east, it was the Balibago district that took centre stage, offering up the likes of Fields Avenue and its gaudy red light bars and gaming halls; now hailed as the largest entertainment district in the Philippines! However, that’s just one side to glaringly un-angelic Angeles. There’s also history and culture here, even if it is stuffed somewhat unceremoniously on the edge of the modern age megastructures. For this, Angeles tour guides direct travellers to the Santo Rosario, where the likes of the Pamintuan Mansion and the Rosario Church rub shoulders with the Museo Ning angeles and the Founders Residence as well.