2003 Reports.

By 2003 visitors were reporting that both on and off base things were improving.
A retired Security Policeman married to a Filipina who has been a number of
visits since the closing said the last time he was there, "it's better than when the
Air Force was there." Another recent visitor commented that "it is safer off
base than in a lot of American cities" because there is more government control.

Another former Air Force member who moved there said the peso is about 52 to 55
to the dollar, and "the base is for the most part still alive and well. There is plenty of traffic to and from during the rush hour. Lots of new construction. Food is still cheap and life in general is great. Beer is 40 Pesos during the afternoon hours and everything is peaceful and on the up and up. Not much else going on so far we have a superb Gym on Friendship Highway and I have joined and am currently working out
there there. Just a thousand pesos a month.

In a second e-mail he said, "I am not sure if you are aware of the new facilities on the base now. Yokohoma Rubber Co built a huge plant where the Ridge Riders Club house useto be. The Comm Group is now Asiwa Electronics they assemble TV Sets for export. There use to be several duty free stores however now there is but a handful. There is two Mac Donalds Restaurants on Base and several downtown. One in front of AU and another in front of just down the street from Holy Angel University on the. There is a relatively large mall for PI standards on the corner of Nepo Mart and Sto Rosario Ave.There is another one just went up on the corner of Villa Teresa Subdivision. By the Gate near the Nepo Mart where the Sports Facility use to be ie Tennis courts and Basketball etc. Balibago has a new Savers Mart Shopping Mall across the street from Marlin Mansion Hotel. The Balibago Hotel has been torn down and a Sand and Gravel Yard is now there.

As for Fields Ave the clubs are much nicer and very clean. A bit above the GI class. They even have a boy to give you Cologne when you exit the Comfort Rooms The beer is about a dollar US in the clubs and cheaper during Happy Hour of course. There are a lot of Internet Cafes for accessing the Internet for those less fortunate to own a computer. Sho Mart also built a huge Mall outside San Fernando, Pampanga on the express way leading to Dau. Also there is a resort going up in Mexico Pampanga with guarded entrance and access to the express way with an overpass. This facility is a retirement type of residential area. They have a man made Lake and plenty of Palm trees to make it appear very nice. They also have a web site.

There is an Ace Hardware Store in the Sho Mart complex and a very nice Home Depot of sorts near the R/R tracks on the left hand side of the road and on the Right. The put up or finished the club that was standing for nearly twenty years vacant. The base has a four lane road from the Main Gate to the split going to CE complex and 13th AF HQTRS.  The Mac Terminal is almost completed for a International Airport and open however they only have one airline servicing the area and it comes from South Korea twice a week for now. There is a annual Hot Air Balloon Festival in February each year held on the base near the old Aero club. There is a gas station on the left side of the road before Bong Hwy.

All the roads have been renamed in honor of fallen Filipino Folks and ex-presidents. The Airport is now called Mapabagal. There is a nice road leading around Angeles City from Friendship area and going to MacArthur Highway coming just before the Shopping Center on the Left about half way to San Fernando. The road is a four lane road all the way to San Fernando now.

They are trips to Pinatubo for tourists. The VFW is a new facility and the nicest place in town to eat now. The American Legion is still open but barely operational. Post 10 is The Pop Reeves, Post 123 is still going somewhat strong just the drunks hang out all day there. We have live FEN feeds off the Satellite Dish in the Legion and the VFW with five channels. You can get one for your private residence also, cost about two thousand dollars all in all. No subscription fees although -- free TV after that investment.

Tricare for Life is going strong. The mail room combined and we now have both package delivery and letter mail via the FPO address at the US Embassy. Cost is about two dollars a month to pickup our mail and bring it to Angeles City for us. Telephone service is much improved and available off base and on. Cost is reasonable compared to US costs. My taxes real estate is around forty dollars US a year. Fire Insurance is more costly. I'm paying around $250 a year for a 5-Million Peso coverage.