Angeles, officially the City of Angeles (Kapampangan: Lakanbalen ning Angeles; Tagalog:

Lungsod ng Angeles), or simply referred to as Angeles City, is a 1st class highly urbanized city
in the region of Central Luzon, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of
411,634 people.[3]

It is bordered by Mabalacat to the north, Mexico to the east, San Fernando to the southeast,
Bacolor to the south, and Porac to the southwest and west. Though the city administers itself
autonomously from Pampanga, it is the province's commercial and financial hub.

Angeles is served by the Clark International Airport in Clark Freeport Zone.[4] Being home of the
former Clark Air Base (once the largest United States military facility outside the continental
United States), it was significantly affected by the fallout from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in
1991. The economy of Angeles was heavily dependent on the American base at that time.[5]

In 1993, a full cleanup and removal of volcanic ash deposits began and the former U.S. base was
transformed into the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ).[6] The creation of CSEZ has helped
to offset the loss of income and jobs previously generated by the presence of the U.S. base in the
city. Today, Angeles and Clark form the hub for business, industry, aviation, and tourism in the
Philippines as well as a leisure, fitness, entertainment and gaming center of Central Luzon.[7]

Angeles ranked 15th in a survey by MoneySense magazine as one of the "Best Places to Live in
the Philippines" in its March–April 2008 issue.[8]

Angeles is 83 kilometres (52 mi) from Manila and 17 kilometres (11 mi) from the provincial
capital, San Fernando.

Contents
 1 Etymology
 2 History
o 2.1 Spanish period
o 2.2 American period
o 2.3 World War II
o 2.4 Independence and cityhood
o 2.5 Mount Pinatubo eruption and Angeles today
 3 Climate
 4 Barangays
o 4.1 Anunas
o 4.2 Balibago and Malabanias
o 4.3 Pampang and San Nicolas
o 4.4 Pulung Maragul
o 4.5 Santo Rosario
o 4.6 Sapangbato
 5 Demographics
 o 5.1 Culture
o 5.2 Religion
o 5.3 Expatriate community
 6 Economy
 7 Tourism
o 7.1 Historical sites
o 7.2 Sex tourism
 8 Schools
o 8.1 Tertiary and higher education
 9 Notable people
 10 Sister cities
 11 References
 12 External links

Etymology
The name Ángeles is derived from the Spanish El Pueblo de los Ángeles ("The Town of the
Angels") in honour of its patron saints, Los Santos Ángeles Custodios (Holy Guardian Angels),
and the name of its founder, Don Ángel Pantaleón de Miranda.

History
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Spanish period

In 1796, the gobernadorcillo or town head of San Fernando, Don Ángel Pantaleón de Miranda,
and his wife, Doña Rosalía de Jesús, along with some followers, staked out a new settlement,
which they named Culiát because of the abundance of vines of that name in the area. The new
settlers cleared the woodland and cultivated the area for rice and sugar farming. Don Ángel built
his first house with light materials at the northwest corner of the intersection of Sapang Balen
and the road going towards the town of Porac. It was later donated to the Catholic Church and
became a cemetery called "Campo Santong Matua" (today the site of Nepomuceno Coliseum).[9]

On 12 May 1812, the new settlers tried to make Culiat a self-governing town but the friars
resisted the move, led by Fray José Pometa. Ten years later, on 11 February 1822, Don Ángel
filed a petition for the township of Culiat to secede from San Fernando, but it was denied. This
was followed by another petition within the same year, jointly signed by Don Ángel, his son-in-
law, Mariano Henson, and the latter's father, Severino Henson. He donated 35 hectares for the
construction of the first Catholic church, a convent and a primary school while Doña Agustina
Henson de Nepomuceno, the niece of who would become the first gobernadorcillo of Angeles in
1830, Don Ciriaco de Miranda, gave land for the new public market. Don Ángel paid the
complete amount required by law just for the secession of Culiat from San Fernando. There were
only 160 taxpayers then but the law required that it should have at least 500 taxpayers.[10]

Located some 10 miles (16 km) north of Pampanga's capital, Culiat became a barrio of San
Fernando for 33 years and on 8 December 1829, became a separate municipality. The newly-
autonomous town was renamed "El Pueblo de los Ángeles" in honor of its patron saints, the Holy
Angels, and the name of its founder, Don Ángel, coinciding with the rise of new barrios such as
Santo Cristo (as the población or town proper), Cutcut, Pampang and Pulong Anunas. The
progressive barrios developed some new industries like a sugar mill and a wine distillery. The
transition of Angeles from a jungle clearing to a barrio, to a town and finally to a city took 168
years and in all that time, it survived locusts' infestations, wars, epidemics, volcanic eruptions
and typhoons to become one of the fast rising towns in the country. When it received its first
official municipal charter, the town contained some 661 people, 151 houses and an area of
38.65 km².[5][11]

On 17 March 1899, General Emilio Aguinaldo transferred the seat of the First Philippine
Republic to Angeles. It then became the site of celebrations for the first anniversary of Philippine
independence, which was proclaimed a year earlier in Kawit, Cavite. Events included a parade,
led by the youngest ever Filipino generals, Gregorio del Pilar and Manuel Tinio, with General
Aguinaldo viewing the proceedings from the Pamintuan Residence, which was the Presidential
Palace from May to July 1899 (and later was the Central Bank of the Philippines office in
Central Luzon, before its ownership passed to the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines). Aguinaldo's sojourn was short, however, for in July of this same year he transferred
his government to the province of Tarlac following Angeles' occupation by the American
forces.[12]

American period

On 10 August 1899, U.S. forces began the attack on Angeles confident in capturing it in a few
days. However, the Filipino Army defending the town refused to give in so easily and fiercely
fought back and for three months, they battled the Americans in and around the town. It was only
after the battle on 5 November 1899 that the town finally fell into American hands. The Battle of
Angeles was considered to be the longest in the history of the Filipino-American War in
Pampanga. This led to the establishment of an American camp in Barrio Talimundoc (in what is
now Lourdes Sur), located next to the railroad station, in order to establish control over the
central plains of Luzon. In January 1900, General Frederick D. Grant organized the first U.S.
Civil Government in Angeles by appointing an alcalde or municipal mayor, beginning American
rule over Angeles.[13]

In 1902, the United States Army studied relocating their post from Barrio Talimundoc to a fertile
plain in Barrio Sapang Bato, which supposedly had better grass for their horses. A year after that,
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt signed an executive order on 1 September, establishing 7,700
acres (31 km2) of land in Sapang Bato as Fort Stotsenburg (which later would expand to 156,204
acres (632.14 km2) in 1908 to become Clark Air Base). It was centered on what would in later
years become Clark Air Base's parade ground.[14]
The Americans quickly commandeered Holy Rosary Parish Church and converted it into an
army hospital, with the choir loft served as a dental clinic. The convento, which now houses
Holy Family Academy, was the barracks for medical officers and enlisted men. The sacristy was
the only portion where Angeleños could hear Mass. When the Americans finally vacated the
church in 1904 and relocated to Fort Stotsenburg, parish priest Rev. Vicente Lapus listed a total
of US$638 for portions of the church destroyed, looted church items and treasures, and arrears
on rentals.

World War II

Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan attacked the Philippines, targeting the American
military presence, as well as the Philippine Army, and taking over the civilian government.
During the Japanese occupation in the country, 57,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war
passed the town of Angeles. They were forced to join the Bataan Death March, going to Camp
O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. Angeleños showed their sympathy by handing them food, milk,
boiled eggs, rice cakes, cigarettes, and water. Angeleños followed them up to the train station in
Dau railway station in Mabalacat to give moral and spiritual support, and even helped the
escapees.

War historians considered the bombing of Fort Stotsenburg on 8 December 1941 at 12:30 p.m. as
one of the most destructive air raids in World War II, because almost all the American war
planes were wrecked on the ground. In thirty minutes, the air might of America in the Far East
was completely destroyed.

On the early morning of New Year's Day 1942, the first Japanese troops entered Angeles; they
would occupy it until January 1945. During the Japanese invasion, another type of local
government was set up on 22 January 1942. During the Japanese occupation, Clark Air Base
then became a major center for staging Japanese air operations. Japanese aircraft flying out of
Clark participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, considered to be the largest naval battle of the
Second World War and possibly the largest naval battle in history.[15][16]

Clark Air Base was recaptured by the Americans in January 1945, after three months of fierce
fighting in the Philippines. After three years of atrocities committed by Japanese forces, the town
and the rest of the Philippines were finally liberated by the combined United States and
Philippine Commonwealth troops in 1945. The building of the general headquarters of the
Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary was situated in Angeles from
January 1945 to June 1946, during and after World War II.

Independence and cityhood

After World War II, the Philippines gained independence from the United States on 4 July 1946,
but then would be tied to a neo-colonial relationship. The "Treaty of General Relations" signed
on independence day itself signified the Americans' withdrawal and surrender of possession,
control and sovereignty over the Philippines, except the use of their bases. It was followed by the
Philippine-American Military Bases Agreement on 14 March 1947, allowing the U.S. to
maintain territorial integrity and sovereignty over Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base for the
next 44 years. Clark occupied 63,103 hectares and served as the tactical operational U.S. air
force installation in the entire Southeast Asian region that had the capacity to accommodate the
U.S. military transport planes, which served the entire Western Pacific.

Through the years, although Fort Stotsenburg continued to expand to become what is now
known as Clark Air Base, Angeles, despite its proximity to the American camp, did not progress
fast and remained fairly small until the end of World War II. It was finally inaugurated on 1
January 1964 as a chartered city under Republic Act No. 3700 and then it entered a period of
tremendous growth that has resulted in its present position as the "Premier City in Central
Luzon." It was then Mayor Rafael del Rosario's brainchild that Angeles became a city. He gained
the distinction of being the last municipal mayor of Angeles. He was assisted in the preparation
of the City Chapter by Attorney Enrique Tayag, a prominent resident of the town.
Congresswoman Juanita L. Nepomuceno of the first district of Pampanga sponsored the bill in
Congress, which was approved by then President Diosdado Macapagal, the ninth Philippine
president and a native of the province of Pampanga.[17]

Mount Pinatubo eruption and Angeles today

Collapsed hangars at the Clark Air Base after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo

On 15 June 1991, Angeles was affected by the cataclysmic eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo,
with up to 60,000 people being evacuated from the city. It was the second-largest volcanic
eruption of the twentieth century and, by far, the largest eruption to affect a densely populated
area. The province of Pampanga, Clark specifically, were badly hit and the agricultural lands, as
well as other businesses, were covered by tons of lahar.[18] There were no casualties reported
inside Clark two days from the initial eruption because the 18,000 personnel and their families
were transported to Guam and the Subic Naval Base in Zambales.

The eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced the leadership of the U.S. to prematurely abandon its
military installation at Clark Air Base. This is in addition to the voting by the Philippine Senate
in 1991 to no longer extend the Laurel–Langley Agreement, which allowed the presence of U.S.
military forces on Philippine territory, thus ending the long chapter of Filipino-American
relations in the history of Angeles. The U.S. military never returned to Clark, turning over the
damaged base to the Philippine government on 26 November 1991[19][20][21]

In 1993, cleanup and removal of volcanic ash deposits began. The former base re-emerged as
Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) approved by then President Fidel V. Ramos on 3 April of
the same year. 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.[6] The creation of CSEZ
has helped to offset the loss of income and jobs previously generated by the presence of the U.S.
base. Today, Angeles and Clark together form the hub for business, industry, aviation and
tourism, as well as the entertainment and gaming center of Central Luzon.[7] According to the
Center for Kapampangan Studies, the dish sisig originated in this city and has been on the menu
since the 1730s. Pampanga is well known as the culinary center of the Philippines.[22][23][24] In
2018, Angeles applied to be a UNESCO Creative City, while it also applied sisig into the
UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The applications are currently being processed by
UNESCO.[25]

Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification system, Angeles has a tropical savanna climate that
borders on a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Aw/Am). Angeles
experiences two distinct seasons: a dry season from December through April, with a wet season
from May through November. From 1953 to 1991, the mean daily low was 73.6 °F and the mean
daily high was 88.1 °F, with June being warmest and January and February being the coolest.
The average annual rainfall is 78.39 inches. Typhoons tend to approach from the east during the
summer and fall. Many damaging storms struck the city, including Typhoon Irma on 28
November 1974 (generally considered to be the strongest one); Typhoon Rita on 27 October
1978; Typhoon Irma (the name was reused) on 24 November 1981; Typhoon Ruby on 25
October 1988; and Typhoon Yunya on 15 June 1991 which coincided with the Mount Pinatubo
blast. In July 1972, Central Luzon experienced a month of nearly continuous rain, resulting in
96 inches falling on the plain around Angeles.