The central nightlife scene of Angeles City in Balibago, known as The Walking Street and previously knows as Fields Avenue, features hundreds of girl-orientated bars as well as restaurants, hotels, and western-style nightclubs. Despite the closing of Clark Air Base, the area continues to thrive and host thousands of foreign tourists arriving on a daily basis.
Fields Avenue is the name of a major street running through Balibago area of Angeles in the Philippines. It is the center of the red light district and the bar scene of the biggest entertainment district of the Philippines.
Although home to thousands of nightlife-based establishments, there are some that stand out from the crowd. Be sure to visit some of the biggests bars such as Atlantis, Dollhouse, Stardust, Club Ra, and Dokkaebi Bar. For those who are into more traditional nightclub experience without the girls on stage, you can't miss Aqua Beach Club, the only pool club with daytime and nighttime parties. Also a must see are High Society as well as the longest-running disco, Sky Trax.
One of the biggest tourist draws in Angeles is its very own ‘Walking Street,’ Fields Avenue in Balibago. The Walking Street has an interesting history, drawing soldiers from the then-operational Clark Air Base for entertainment. Today, it is emerging as a food, entertainment and casino center for tourists from all over the world. it is also known for its rich nightlife, with many bars catering to local and foreign tourists alike.
Fields Avenue developed in the early 1960s as a street lined with bars to cater to the single American defense personnel who worked in the adjacent Clark Air Base. The street just outside the main gate of the base had just three bars in the 1940s and 1950s. However, as the American presence in the Vietnam war grew, more and more forces were deployed at Clark or routed through it. This led to a proliferation of bars, live bands and prostitution, the latter mostly by young Filipina women, most of them either teenagers or 18–25 years old. By the 1970s, there were more than 150 bars and prostitution joints along Fields Avenue. This led to a mushrooming of related ancillary industries in the vicinity, namely music bands, hotels, doctors, hairdressers and money exchange / transfer services. In its heyday, Fields Avenue provided direct or direct employment to nearly 20,000 Filipinos including plumbers, electricians and security guards. In the 1980s, though the American presence remained steady, the bars and prostitution shops continued to proliferate. Many bars and prostitution dens were owned by Americans as well as local politicians, thus leading to a nexus between the locals, politicians and American military and ex military personnel.
Walking Street or Fields Avenue can only be described as the melting pot of various cultures thus giving it the party atmosphere like no other. In a city that never sleeps, everyone is eager to show you a good time as Filipinos are well-known for their exceptional hospitality.
Praised for their tolerance to western culture, ladies are sure to entertain you regardless of your age, weight, physical appearance, interpersonal skills, wealth, or social class. Spend quality time with these fine young women in a bar scene that never closes and you will most certainly have a memorable experience.
With the withdrawal of American defense forces from Clark in 1993, many of these establishments changed hands but continued to do business. As Clark was turned into a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), these bars and prostitution joints changed their clientele to suit their new customers - Japanese and Korean businessmen. Restaurants serving food from these countries began to appear and signboards in these languages were put up. The period from 2000-2010 saw further expansion of these joints, as the area was relabeled as an "entertainment district". While prostitution was officially banned, girls working here were simply re designated as "Guest Relations Officers" (GRO) and prostitution continued in practice. Since then, bars and prostitution joints have continued to proliferate and expand, the extent of these establishments has continued further on both sides of Fields Avenue and many smaller streets off Fields Avenue also sport smaller such establishments.
Fields Avenue remains among the safest streets in the region, with a very low crime rate, exceptionally few robberies, fights or murders.
Further on, you reach the stage were you want to see this girl out of the workplace. Traditionally labelled as a bar-fine, the payment for six is illegal in the Philippines so don't feel offended if the bars hesitate. However you will find that every bar has its own procedure. All you can do is be polite and courteous to find out what the score is in the particular bar. Don’t be wandering up to any managers shouting about bar fine. Discuss this with your girl.
Although a large portion of tourists in the area enjoy gambling, the city only holds one major casino and several small poker rooms. Casino Filipino-Angeles is found down MacArthur Highway near the nightlife scene whilst several small poker rooms are actually inside The Walking Street. Tourists and locals alike are present is these types of entertainment.
For those looking to get away from the party lifestyle, the city does offer daytime activities. Despite having no beach, Aqua Beach Club is also a haven for relaxation with its roof-top infinity pool, in-house gym and spa, plus the best view of the sunset. Activities such as hiking, kart racing, and guided tour services are available with most travel agents. Filipinos love "malling" and SM City Clark Mall, Marquee Mall, and several other malls are nearby. For relaxation, ask about Puning Hotspring or drop by at any of the numerous massage parlors within vicinity.
