Downtown Angeles City, “Home of the Local Business” is located at the heart of Angeles City proper. It is one of the busiest places in town where you can see the everyday routine of Angeleños (people living in Angeles). As you take the roads of the downtown, you will see the whole picture of the district of Angeles City. There are a lot of ways to roam around the city. Riding a Jeepney, is definitely the most affordable means of transportation. These are colorful transport machines that will take you anywhere you want with the lowest fare ever. If this will be your first time riding it, you might be astonished with the way it calls for a passenger, unlike in a bus where seats are separated by rows, Jeepneys on the other hand have a long range seats that will be shared by all of the passengers heading towards the same destination as you. Another means of getting around the city is by Tricycle, these are commonly taken by passengers who wish to travel in the shortest time possible. It is convenient in a way that you can rent the whole Tricycle alone for a special trip. It is more convenient especially if you are bringing a lot of stuff with you.
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Lastly, you can wander around the city by taking a Taxi, the most convenient ride you can have but is sure will cost you more compared to the typical public transportation. Tourists and foreigners usually prefer Taxi because they can travel all they want with ease. All of the Taxis are fully air-conditioned and you can go anywhere just simply ask the Taxi driver for the rate. For frugal commuters like the rest of us, Taxi will be our last resort in travelling. Surely, we can see a lot of fascinating views here in the downtown area. All of Angeles’ famous landmarks have its own story. All of them were built decades ago and as you travel along the way, you can fully see the rich culture of the Filipinos.
(Angeles Museum) Museo Ning Angeles is an art gallery that conceals the invaluable legacy of the city. The structure has been standing for 93 years and it has been a witness of the city’s growth and continuous progress. This building was established in the year 1922. It is a place where you can see the different kinds of artifacts and long-time heritage of Angeles. Special events and occasions were mostly performed here and it is one of the nicest places you must visit to better know the gist of the history of the town.
Next is the Kapampangan Center, Philippines has around 170 dialects, and in the Angeles area, there is one dominant dialect spoken by many Angeleños, and that is “Kapampangan” or “Pampango”. It is far different from the “Tagalog” that most Filipinos speak. Kapampangans are known with their skills in cooking and they have undeniably pretty faces but others give them inferior connotations because some find their behavior as unacceptable. On the contrary, there is one great thing about them is their test of resiliency during the time of Mt. Pinatubo eruption in the year 1991. Angeles (formerly known as Kuliat) was deeply devastated by this tragedy but what was really amazing about them is that how Kapampangans rose again after the tragic event and how were they able to successfully reach the peak of their progress.
Another thing you can see inside the Kapampangan Center is the human sized pictures of the first Angeleños and a wide collection of patron saints that signifies their strong religious beliefs. The things mentioned above are just a glimpse of what you can expect from the Kapampangan Museum. It is located inside the institution of Holy Angel University where it has been preserved for many years now and continuously safekeeping the Kapampangan’s historic treasure.
Philippines is known to be a religious nation and majority of the Filipinos are Catholic devotees who celebrate numerous religious events a year. The stunning architectural structure of the Holy Rosary Parish Church says it all. It was constructed from 1877 up to 1896 by people from Angeles. It is one of the old structures built within the center of the business district. It is located right in front of Museo Ning Angeles near Holy Angel University where the Kapampangan Center is located. The intricate design and symmetry embosses every detail of the church.
Furthermore, downtown has its very own Pamintuan House that was constructed in the late 1880s and it was considered as one of the most fine-looking houses in Angeles. It was a Spanish-inspired architecture that adds to its beauty and it is one indication of the olden times of Angeles. It was fully restored and is rumored to be converted into a museum in the coming years.
Lastly, they have Founder’s Residence (Bahay na Bato). The name “bahay na bato” (stone house) speaks for itself. The building is made out of adobe stones and classic wood. It is also known as the oldest domicile of the city because of its tenacity amidst the dynamic changes happened in the town of Angeles. It was constructed in the year 1824 and was formerly owned by the couple who founded Angeles City – Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda and his better half Doña Rosalia de Jesus.
We have noted the different sightseeing, let us moved on to the different shopping centers and marketplaces that made the town so unique and distinctively wonderful. When it comes to the Downtown’s market places and shopping malls, we have the following places. These are Nepo Mall that is indeed a good shopping place, you can enjoy the affordable prices of goods and services you can obtain and spend your day pampering yourself with the different establishments that will not cost you much compared with the other shopping centers. Next one is Jenra Mall, on its former years, it was just a startup business when people started to flock and Jenra Mall was able to reign the first ever mall that was patronized by almost all of the people. Back then, SM malls are situated far from the Angeles area. Surprisingly, even if a lot of shopping centers came out, Jenra Mall is still capable of generating its revenues and people did not forget how they first loved the place.
Another one is Jumbo Jenra, from its term “jumbo” which literally means big is the perfect grocery stores for retailers and wholesalers. Most of its products and goods are sold in bulks and bundles. The ever-famous trademark of Downtown is the San Nicolas Market. You might want to are look for a marketplace that opens until the after office hours. San Nicolas Market place is a great place to go to. It is also titled as “Night Market’ it is not only limited to selling consumable products just how a market should be, it also known with its “Ukay-Ukay” (surplus) where you will need your searching skills to find a good treasure. The term “Ukay” was based on the Tagalog term “Hukay” (dig) which means you will literally dig a mountain of clothes and garments for you to find a better product. The price range starts from P10.00, imagine how cheap and exciting it is to buy in the night market. During daytime, it is the usual marketplace where you can buy fruits and vegetable produce, fresh meats and livestock and some fancies such as kid’s toys, accessories, clothes, footwears and commodities. As soon as the sun sets, vendors and merchants will start to set up their individual stalls and the market is open as long as people keep on coming.
It has been the tradition of Angeleños to save the date and plan a shopping strategy for the week. It is because of the weekly mark down of products and goods every Friday. “Apo” is known with its Friday mass and as early as 5:00 in the morning, people start to gather like a colony of ants within the area of the Apo Market. It is like the San Nicolas market that sells products for the cheapest possible price. You can see that a lot of customers buy in bundles because of the low-cost products you can purchase. Most of them are selling in bargain and you can hear a lot of customers haggle for them to win over their desired products. Here, you can buy a wide variety of products and most of them are on sale, if not, they are almost free. The common promos they have are the “buy 1 take 1” tactic or buying 3 products for the price of one. You can never go wrong with this place since it is as if you are in a competition and you are all aiming for the best products you can gain.
On a contrary, it is advised that you leave your valuables once you step foot in the Apo Market. There might be instances that because of the big crowd, you might not even notice that you were already robbed. Other than that, it is a great adventure buying in the Apo market. For a more convenient market place, I definitely recommend Puregold Mart. It was a former duty-free shop but then years later, it became one of the top groceries of the country. Recently, they have established almost 200 branches nationwide and are currently aiming to build up to 500 branches in the Philippines. It is a one-stop shop and you can purchase imported good and a variety of products.
Angeles is also known with the prominent institutions and medical centers built within its vicinity. Top universities of Angeles are : Angeles University Foundation) established since May 25, 1962, Holy Angel University founded since June 5, 1933 , Systems Plus College Foundation since June 27, 1985, and Republic Central Colleges that was built since June 1946 . These are some of the top-notch educational institutions that are preferred by most students and these are highly competitive for they are continuously giving students quality education. Moreover, here are the leading health centers of Angeles: AUF Medical Center, Angeles Medical Center and the newly established branch of The Medical City. All of these are highly recommended because of the high technology of their medical equipments plus the adept and credible physicians and medical team working hand in hand to bring cure and to provide care to their patients.
For delectable Kapampangan made delicacies and Downtown’s best diners here are the following places. The Susie’s Cuisine, it is the ever famous shop of Susie’s that has been selling tasty Filipino delicacies and are being patronized by a lot of Filipinos and Balikbayans. Next is Camalig that was built in 1840 and became the Angeleños favorite hangout place. You can see live band performances and party all-night with friends and buddies. The flourishing business of the Nepo Quadrangle, the place for elite and “class A” customers who would want to spend their time with familiar friends while engaging into small talks and giggles. It is a nice place for “barkadas”; it is where Gustav Cafe, Dainty tea house and Binalot are located. Downtown’s trademark, Street Food Center, is a perfect outdoor dining place for those who want their money to be well spent. You can have your favorite snack for as low as P1.00, you can already eat two pieces of fish balls. Kwek-kwek, Isaw, Gulaman are just some of the delectable food you can tastes in the Street Food Center.
Jollibee, KFC, McDonald’s, Chowking and Mang Inasal are the all-time favorite dining places of kids and families. Here in downtown Angeles City, all of the leading fast food chains are established here and it is often the family’s choice to celebrate children’s birthday parties and everyday treats.
There are a lot of exciting things you can do and enjoy here at Downtown Angeles City. If you are to visit the town, do not forget to try and see these places. Discover the fun and taste the delicious dishes that Angeles has prepared for you!
