THE PI JOE NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2002 # 01
01 - 10 SEPTEMBER

“The Public Has A Right To Know”


HARRY THE HORSE’S SEPTEMBER 2002 ISSUE

His article this month is out, another excellent issue. You can find it on the Go2Phil.com web site. Thanks to Harry for including the “Walk Down Memory Lane” in his latest issue. It’s true, we’ve never met, but I’m sure that will change in the near future, as we “haunt” a lot of the same places.


CLUB AND BAR INFORMATION

I didn’t make it to the grand opening of the Blue K Expat and Sports Pub. I was wrapped around this hot, sexy, flat-out beautiful chick most of the night and never made it to Blue K. No, I won’t tell you where the hot, sexy, flat-out beautiful chick works.

I stopped in La Bamba one night this week. This club hasn’t been mentioned or written about much lately. While the line-up of dancers the time I was there wasn’t great, it was OK, certainly as good as some of the other smaller establishments in and around Field’s Avenue. They had some cuties on the stage that appealed to me. Anyway, I recommend you check out the smaller clubs when you come to town. I am fond of mentioning that you can sometimes find “A diamond in the rough” in the less popular bars.

I strongly urge you drop by the Kitten Club when you get a chance. Their line-up of girls is excellent. All the girls are attractive, appealing and eager to party with you. If I wasn’t already “obligated”, there are at least six or seven young ladies in the Kitten Club I could become “close friends” with.

I was in the Duke of York bar on Santos Road one afternoon this week (Don’t tell my girl friend). Lady’s drinks are 70 pesos. They will host the Dog House meeting next week, 10 September. They have nine girls to entertain your wildest fantasies. The momma say if she needs more girls for the Dog House meeting, she will go get them. I suggested she fetch them now.

Bar fines at the Duke of York bar are 500 pesos for a short time and 1000 pesos all night, the same as all or at least most of the clubs on Santos. You can take the chick back to your hotel room for the short time (three hours) if you so desire. I don’t hang around Santos very much, but I believe this is also true for all the clubs on Santos. All or most of the Santos clubs are open twenty-four hours a day.

Here’s the latest news I have about club closings and openings. Apparently Lollipop’s was closed only a couple of days instead of “weeks” as I reported earlier. I never walked around to the bar to check. Lollipop’s and King of Diamonds will close on Thursday, 05 September. All the girls will move to the new “Kokomo’s Disco” in Kokomo’s due to start the same day. The girls will dance in the area where the pool tables were previously located.

Exotica is scheduled to open on the 14th of this month and Misty’s on the 17th. Misty’s will host the weekly Dog House meeting as part of their grand opening.

There are unconfirmed reports that a new bar and restaurant will open above Wheatfields, the bakery on Field’s Avenue.
No other information is available at this time.

I also got a report that the building facing the Chicago Park Hotel will house several independently-owned clubs instead of a hotel, as I reported previously. Harry the Horse states in his September 2002 issue it will contain four clubs.

The Swagman Hotel’s body painting contest is scheduled for Tuesday, 22 October, followed by their wet T-shirt contest Tuesday, 29 October.

On Friday, 06 September, we went over to Kokomo’s to check out their new setup. Both the Lollipop and King of Diamonds are closed, with the dancers in those clubs working at Kokomo’s Disco. I like the arrangement in Kokomo’s. There’s plenty of seating areas but still ample space to walk around. The “new” Kokomo’s has a relaxed atmosphere and you can hear yourself talk. Local drinks and beer were thirty pesos all night, a very good deal.

With the dancers from both Lollipop’s and King of Diamonds Clubs and GRO~s, there are plenty of girls running around, and I like that. Kokomo’s has some new girls arriving from Bicol, scheduled to start working soon.

After Kokomo’s, we went to Confetti’s. This club had a body painting contest. This club was jumping when we arrived. They’ve hired some new girls in the club too, so check it out.

Lastly we hit Nero’s. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this club? There was a surfeit of good-looking sexy dancers on stage when we entered. You will need several lifetimes to work your way through all the nice ladies in this bar.

For a good time, take a newbie (first-timer to AC) to this club and watch his jaw hit the floor. If you want to paralyze the guy, make prior arrangements with several of the chicks to mob him when you come through the door. Hint: Your cell phone is ideal for alerting the chicks when you’re about to enter the club.

I did something like this several weeks ago in Confetti’s. We were sitting in the large booth area in the center of the club. A visitor friend of mine came in with a chick and sat down near the entrance. I could see him but he couldn’t see me. I paid a girl fifty pesos to go over without saying a word to him and plant a heavy kiss right on his mouth, and then walk away, which she did. My friend didn’t know whether to try to explain to his chick or jump up and go after the girl that just kissed him.


BICOL GIRLS

I’m in love with all girls from the province of “Bicol”. If you find a Bicol chick, don’t let her get away from you. I have been “close friends” with seven or eight of them in the last six years and haven’t had a bad experience yet. I won’t mention her name but there is one rather “famous” young lady from Bicol working in AC. A lot of you probably know her. If you think you do, send me an email with her name, and I’ll let you know if you’re right or not. I think she is particularly luscious, but I can’t get too friendly with her. She’s a friend of my girl friend, also a Bicol chick.


A BAR HOP ON PERIMETER ROAD

I recently had an occasion to explore the other end of Field’s Avenue one day with a friend. We met at Garfield’s for a couple of drinks. They have some cuties in there.

We stopped in Mustang Sally’s first for a quick snack. This club-restaurant is going out of business. Their last day will be Saturday, 07 September with a big final party scheduled that night.

I took a look in Top End, next door to Mustang Sally’s. They had three or four girls only at about 4 PM or so. This bar doesn’t have dancers, only GRO~s and pool tables.

Good Times is open again. Stacy the owner is trying hard to make this a good place to party. He’s replaced the pool table with a dance floor. He had about a dozen very friendly and warm girls there. I recommend you give this club a shot. While my friend and I did not get wild and naked here, I believe this club offers some exciting entertainment if you are so inclined.

We then went to Mirrors in the Clarkton Hotel and worked our way back down toward Field’s Avenue. Mirrors no longer has a band or dancers, GRO~s only. It was early for this club so there weren’t many girls working. It appeared most of the girls were just coming to work about 5 PM.

We stopped next at HT Gees. This was a fun bar. They had about a dozen dancers or so. I got an offer to take three of them at one time to their short-time room. Lordy, lordy, I used to do that in my younger days. I don’t know now or not if I could do three of them justice, but I’m willing to try! Don’t know if it’s club policy or not, but one of the waitresses was pushing lady’s drinks pretty hard. I immediately let everyone know I lived in AC. They didn’t bother me after that but my friend, who’s a visitor to AC, was urged rather strongly to keep ponying-up frequently for lady’s drinks.

We hit the Foxy Club in the Southern Star Hotel next. This place was busy. There were more customers in the bar than I’ve ever seen there before. We had one quick one and moved on. I think a better time to go here is early in the afternoon, right after they open at 2 PM.

We stepped into Honey Ko’s next. The place was crowded. There were only three dancers on the floor and about three or four more sitting in the back. We decided to head on to the next place.

We skipped Thigh-High, saving this place for our next foray down Perimeter Road. Nifty’s, previously “The Silver Fox”, around the corner from Garfield’s, was closed for renovation. We went to Club Rio next door to Nifty’s. They had some young cuties in this bar. We were the only customers at the time, so we had all the girls to ourselves. The Momma told me that she has five or six new girls coming from the province in a few days. It might be worthwhile to return to this club. As you know, good-looking honeys don’t last long working in the clubs here. Heck, fine chicks don’t last long anywhere. The Momma told me that the short-time room upstairs is open again and is now air-conditioned. Goodness, what will they think of next?

I’m not sure but I think she told me the short-time rate is 750 pesos and includes the room. You get the chick for fifteen minutes. What the heck? It takes me that long just to get my pants off. No, just kidding. You get two or three hours with the lady of your choice. Club Rio opens at 1 PM. Get there early folks!

We skipped Pecos Pete’s, even though they had seven or eight girls in the place. We ambled on down to the Other Bar next. They had only three chicks working but all three of them were cute. We didn’t sit down but moved onto the small bar in the Marquis Hotel, behind the gas station. This bar doesn’t have any dancers, just GRO~s and a pool table. Several of the girls were cute. All the employees, including the bartenders were friendly. If you like to shoot pool and hang-out in a quiet place, this is a good club to do it.

We also didn’t go to the Edelweiss club. Harry the Horse discusses this bar in his September 2002 article. I will be sure to stop in here the next time I’m on that side of town.

We started out bar hopping at 3 PM. There are too many clubs on Perimeter Road to do them all justice in one bar hop. Most of the clubs open around 2 and close at 10, 11, or 12 PM. Generally I have had a “funner” time in the past hitting the clubs early in the afternoon. That generally means you have time for only two or three of the bars.

Time was running out for us, meaning the girl friends were waiting, so we called it a night about 8 PM and headed on home. We didn’t make it to Emotions. I’ll hit that club soon and see what’s happening there.


PHRASES UNIQUE TO ANGELES CITY

If you’ve ever visited AC, then you’ve undoubtedly heard the terms “sneak-outs” and “a runner”. For those of you who might not know the definitions, a “sneak-out” is a girl that goes to a guy’s house or hotel room once she’s finished work for the night. She might even visit the guy during the day before she goes to work. The club of course doesn’t earn any money on a sneak-out.

“A runner” is a girl that leaves after spending a couple of hours or so with you, after you’ve paid the bar fine. The assumption is that the chick will spend the entire night with you, leaving sometime the next day. Hard core runners seldom spend the entire night with a guy.

Cell phones have facilitated both these phenomena. “Sneak-out artists”, guys that specialize in encouraging the girls to so indulge, usually visit a club, get the girl’s cell phone number and later that night, use his cell phone to entice/make arrangements to see her without his paying the bar fine.

“Runners” also use their cell phones. Their techniques are quite effective on males with little or no experience in AC. A couple of hours or so after the guy has paid her bar fine, the girl has one of her friends call her. She then invents some reason to leave. A common excuse is her mother is sick and that she has to go home. A lot of guys, understanding and considerate of course, will let her go. Sometimes the chicks are brazen enough to go right back to work.

The bottom line is that if a chick wants to leave, there’s not much you can do to stop her besides trying to talk her out of it. Think about it though. If she really doesn’t want to stay with you, do you really want to keep such a chick all night? The solution is to exercise better judgment in selecting your companions. Admittedly some guys are better at that than others.

The phrase “bar fine” has been in favor since the first Spaniards set foot in the islands. I can clearly picture the first Spanish sailors trudging ashore and the girls on the beach jumping up and down shouting, “Bar Fine, bar fine!”

For a while recently, though it never caught on, the term “leaving fee” was used. The customer shells out sufficient cash so that the club will not suffer any financial loss if the girl of his choice leaves work early, hence “leaving fee”.

You will now occasionally hear the acronym “EWR”, “early work release”. The logic is the same as for a leaving fee. The word “bar fine” has been entrenched so long in AC however, I wonder if “EWR” will ever supplant it. Ironically, the cost of a leaving fee or EWR is the same as a bar fine. Imagine that.

While I haven’t heard it in AC yet, a friend of mine familiar with the club scene in Manila says the term “financials” is used among the girls in the big city. A “financial” is a guy sending a chick money on a regular basis. The term is used as in “How many financials do you have?” “I have three”. That chick is doing very well indeed.

A street vendor today on Field’s Avenue confided to me that he knows several club girls in AC that have five or six financials. He went on to say that they’re all supporting Filipino boy friends. Keep that in mind the next time you drop the check in the mail to your AC sweetheart.


A NEW CELL PHONE MARKETING TECHNIQUE?

It surprises me that some enterprising club manager hasn’t hit upon the idea of “phone-in orders”. You’re lying lethargically around the room one night, you don’t feel like getting dressed to go out, so why not call the club where (one of) your favorite dream-girls works, and request the club to send her over? The girl collects the bar fine, leaving fee or early work release for the club, you get to see the fantasy chick of your choice with minimal effort, and everybody is happy. It works for me, especially on rainy nights.


MANILA KIPNAPPERS

Harry the Horse reported rumors of a kidnapping team from Manila moving to AC. I can confirm their presence in this metropolis. Late last Saturday night, my girl friend, the Brown Bunny (BB) was snatched off the street returning from a sari-sari store. I received a note from the kidnappers early the next morning asking for a one-million dollar ransom fee. I immediately responded, telling them I’ll give them two million bucks to keep her.


MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

QUOTE FROM A FRIEND

A quote from a friend of mine that occasionally visits AC: "Women suck - unfortunately not when you want them to."

THE PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Monday, 02 September, the peso dropped to 51.65 at Norma’s. At the end of the week, it was at 51.75 and remained there all weekend (07-08 September). It closed at 51.85 10 September.


My word processor is telling me I’m up to eight pages. I suppose I should end this one and send it out. C U next time.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!


PI Joe

THE PI JOE NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2002 # 02
11 - 15 SEPTEMBER

“The Public Has A Right To Know”


CLUB AND BAR INFORMATION

The latest bar hop started out at the Jungle. I haven’t visited this club much lately. It wasn’t busy on this visit at all, perhaps three or four other customers sitting in a corner. There are about twenty-five dancers gyrating for you and some friendly waitresses to take your order. You got your pick if you hustle on down to the Jungle.

We turned left out of the Jungle and went two doors down to the Kitten Club. I can’t say enough about their lineup of chicks. Guys, you’re missing the boat if you don’t visit this bar.

I walked down to the Kokomo’s Disco. I think this new bar will be a success. As I mentioned before, I like the open space, plus the girls are all over the club. If you can’t find a chick to talk to in this bar, I’ll buy you a seeing-eye dog. Even if you aren’t looking for a date, this is a great place to meet and chat with your friends.

I went to check on the dancers in Voodoo. It was late (for me), about 1 AM. Most of the girls appeared to have departed the premises. I’ll check out this club again soon, earlier in the night. I was in Kokomo’s on a previous night when Field’s Avenue suffered an extended power outage. All the Voodoo dancers moved to Kokomo’s. Some of them were outstanding lookers.

The Flamingo and Kitten Clubs continue to have shows on Friday and Saturday nights. Did I mention they hand out a lot of free drink tickets? They also have free food. The food has been great the times I’ve been there. If you haven’t attended any of their shows, I recommend you do so. They’re entertaining with a lot of nice ladies in the dance contests. The shows generally start at 8 or 9 PM but get there early for a good seat. Get there early to insure you get any seat.

A good friend rolled into town the other day. We met at the Orchid and first went to the Flamingo Club, late in the afternoon. Even though all the girls hadn’t yet arrived “at the office”, we had a good time fooling around with several of them that had. The Flamingo seriously cranks-up at 6 PM, but there are plenty of eager ladies available when the doors open at 2 PM.

We exited the side gate by the Orchid pool and went to Shanno’s. Shanno’s is off the beaten path so many visitors to AC aren’t even aware of this club, but if you’re in town, there are several cuties you might want to visit in this club. We found them to be very enthusiastic and willing to show you a good time (understatement of the week here now!) The easiest way to get to Shanno’s is to walk pass the Las Vegas and Exotica Clubs (on your right) to the next intersection, turn right and walk thirty feet. Shanno’s is on your left. You can’t miss it.

We hit the Dirty Duck Club next. This is one of my favorite clubs in town. The girls are always friendly and willing to entertain you. You can tell this club is popular because anytime you enter, it’s busy. Don’t worry, if there aren’t any seats, you can stand. No matter where you locate yourself, you won’t be far from the dancers. The management here has the delicious habit of serving free food. I’ve had some great pizza slices in this bar, and tonight they served a large sausage on a bun with your choice of condiments. The sausage was almost a full meal.

I left my friends at the Dirty Duck. The Brown Bunny having arrived from Manila called me, saying something about her wanting to practice for her orals at her college on Saturday. I figured I had better hurry home and find out what that was all about!

I didn’t make the grand opening of the newly remodeled Exotica Club but went there last night. Management has opted for the standard formula for bars in AC, that is, seats against the wall on both sides with an oval, elevated dance floor in the center of the club, much like Labamba. In fact when I entered, it struck me how much the club resembled Labamba. The major difference is that the bar is on your immediate right when you enter whereas in Labamba, it’s on your left. It also has a strong resemblance to Nero’s. Exotica is smaller than Nero’s, but slightly larger than Labamba.

I like the layout and the circular dance floor in the center of the club. The seats against the wall are comfortable and close enough to the stage to still make eye contact with the girls, always an important feature for an (ex) hunter like me. They didn’t have that many girls dancing tonight. That will probably be corrected in the near future.


STREET HUSTLERS AND SCAM ARTISTS

I don’t know if these guys are more desperate now or if I have “Mucho Pesos” stamped on my forehead. One day last week while walking to Saver’s Mall, a local guy drove up in a jeep and did his damnest to get me into his vehicle, saying he would give me a ride anywhere I wanted. I declined his offer since there was a good chance he would have hauled me around some corner where his buddies were waiting to relieve me of my coin purse.

Then today in front of “The Club”, I was approached by an individual who stuck out his hand to shake mine, “I thought you were going home.” As I continued to walk, I replied, “Going home? I am home, I live here.”

Then, not fifty feet further down Field’s Avenue, another guy tried to stop me by asking where my friend was. Again I didn’t stop. I just waved “Hello” at him, smiled and kept walking.

Don’t be misled by strangers on the street around Field’s Avenue. They don’t want to be your friend. They want your money or other valuables they can turn into cash. It’s as simple as that.

Their usual technique is to engage you in a conversation, then offer you “something-for-nothing”, free tickets to a new club opening, or a card game where you will be a sure winner, or something else where you will (you think) benefit from minimal effort on your part.

Once you swallow the bait, they will maneuver you into a trike or jeepney to take you to their or a friend’s house, or so they will say. Where ever the location, you can bet it will be an isolated spot where you will be surrounded by several other guys and mugged. The men involved in these setups usually will not assault you if you surrender your valuables without a struggle. Fight them and it’s very likely you will be seriously hurt or even killed.

Offering tourist guys a ride is also an old trick around AC. If I had gotten into that jeep last week, I would have been taken somewhere at a high speed where I couldn’t have jumped out, to a location where I would have been stripped clean. Paneled vans have also been employed. Often after accepting a ride, you will be mugged right in the vehicle.

There are an unlimited number of scams around AC but they are all designed to get your money and “stuff”. Use your head. Why on earth would a total stranger in a foreign country spend his time to give you something for free? Apply logic. There “ain’t” any reason why anyone would do so.

If you are approached in any manner on the street by a stranger, on foot or in a vehicle, keep moving. Don’t stop to talk to him. Don’t listen to him even if he claims you know him, such as, “Remember me? I work at your hotel.”

If you’re offered something or asked for assistance, politely decline and keep walking. Do not be rude, cuss or antagonize them in any way. You may end up in a physical altercation right there on the street.

The hustlers to my knowledge, don’t use women in their scams, but it’s still a good bet to decline to go to any unfamiliar area with a strange female, especially at night.

Keep the ballgame on your field in AC and you will be alright.


SNEAK-OUTS – IS IT RIGHT?

Last newsletter, I discussed the term “sneak-outs”. There is some debate around town whether the girls’ time is their own when they aren’t working. Should they keep all money earned when they aren’t working in the club, or do they owe the bar something for assignations developed outside the bar? It’s a murky question.

What if a girl and a customer in the bar deliberately arrange to meet after she finishes work to avoid the bar fine? This situation reflects the generally accepted definition of a sneak-out. There is here of course the obvious question of the loss of income by the club.

What if a “sneak-out artist” doesn’t offer to pay the bar fine while in the club, but gets the girl’s cell phone number and calls her after work? Is it right for her to meet him or should she decline? If she meets him, should she collect the full bar fine and share it with the club?

If a girl’s “off duty” and meets someone for the first time, what rules apply? Should she collect the full bar fine and pay half to the bar, or is any income hers alone?

If a girl honestly doesn’t get a bar fine at work and goes somewhere afterwards to find a date, should she share any income with her employer?

What if a girl has a true boy friend, foreign or domestic? Is she required to collect payment for the club in those instances where she meets the boy friend? What if she lives with him?

Where and how do you draw the line on what is her time and her employer’s time?

What do YOU think?

And let’s take a poll. Given the choice of paying the bar fine and taking the girl then, or meeting her later after work and saving the bar fine, which would you do?


SEXUAL SLAVERY IN SOUTH KOREA?

The August 12, 2002 Time Asia issue includes an article titled “Base Instincts”, describing an investigation of sexual slavery of Filipino and Russian girls in the GI bars around the country. The investigation appears to have been done primarily at Camp Casey near the DMZ. The article however includes a map with most of the larger military bases, stating all them have “girlie bars”.

The article claims the girls are brought to South Korea under false pretenses and forced to work in the bars as prostitutes. There are several quotes from GI~s in some of the bars outside Camp Casey and from one sixteen year-old Filipina, claiming abuse and forced prostitution.

After a Fox News Special on this subject several months ago, some members of Congress called for an investigation. The U.S. Military in Korea has stated their inquiry into the sexual slavery allegations is nearly complete.

One bar owner outside Camp Casey stated he negotiated an agreement with Korean Immigration officials to import Filipino and Russian girls under “special entertainment” visas. Contacted by Time Asia Magazine, one Korean Immigration official stated he had never heard of any such agreement.

There is no doubt in my mind the bars are operated under the auspices of the Korean Government. Immigration officials could not fail to notice hordes of Filipino and Russian girls swarming through their gates, not to mention the girls’ difficulties in obtaining any kind of standard visa from the Korean Embassies in Russia and the Philippines.

The Time Asia web site is: www.timeasia.com


CLUB GROUPS AROUND FIELD’S AVENUE

There are eight groups of bars in and around Field’s Avenue, each group owned or operated by one individual or a group of people.

First is the Misty’s group, with the Tropicana Hotel, Misty’s, Blue Nile, Nero’s and the Cambodia club. This group will also have the new watering hole, “The White House” when built.

The Cleopatra Group controls Ayer’s Rock, G Spot and Cleopatra (currently closed).

The AC Bar Group has Kokomo’s, Voodoo, Marine Bar, Lollipop’s and King of Diamonds. The last three bars listed are currently closed. The Marine Bar is currently undergoing renovation.

The Champagne Group runs Champagne, Volcano and Brown Sugar. Camelot, a new club, and the apartments on top of it at the site of the old Tahitian Queen club will also be part of the Champagne group. Camelot is scheduled to open sometime around the end of the year.

The Kitten group consists of the Kitten Club, the Jungle and the Flamingo Club.

The Labamba Group manages Labamba, Rhapsody, the Blue Fox, and Angels.

The Blackjack Group has Blackjack and Exotica.

The Las Vegas Group has the Las Vegas Bar and Monte Carlo.


TWO BOOKS ON THE PHILLIPINES

I realize that most visitors to AC are here for the bars and the chicks but for any of you that might have an interest in the Philippines, there are two excellent books on the subject, “The Marcos Dynasty” by Sterling Seagrave and “Looted – The Philippines After The Bases” by Donald Kirk, both available from Amazon.

The first book contains a detailed history of the politics in the Philippines from the start of the 20th Century through the Marcos dictatorship, and includes America’s role in this country during that time. The author also devotes two large chapters on “Yamashita’s Gold”, fascinating reading for sure.

The second one covers business and politics after the bases in this country were closed. The author includes a lot of personal history of some of the major “players” in the Philippines for the last ten years or so.

The subject matter was thoroughly researched by the respective authors. Detailed footnotes are included for each chapter in both books, documenting the authors’ research and sources. If you want a better understanding of the modern Philippines, I recommend you read both these texts. I suggest “The Marcos Dynasty” first but both books are informative and interesting.


PROGRESS COMES TO PAMPANGA?

Most of you visiting AC are aware of the SM (Shoe Mart) Mall at San Fernando, a few miles down the road toward Manila. Headlines in the September 1-7, 2002 issue of a local newspaper, “The Voice”, state “Businessmen, Lazatin Don’t Want SM in Clark”.

A public hearing at Angeles City on September 02, 2002 revealed overwhelming opposition by local businessmen and the Mayor of Angeles City (Mr. Lazatin) to the construction of a new SM Mall inside Clark, being pushed by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC). Their two major grievances are the increased traffic in and out of Clark and on MacArthur Highway, and the decrease of revenue from the existing retail centers of Angeles City.

There is an editorial in the same newspaper which describes the influx of traffic and death of the local retail business in the city after the San Fernando SM Mall was erected. The prediction is that Angeles will suffer a similar fate. A new SM Mall at Clark would probably cause minor changes along Field’s Avenue. I don’t think the bars would be affected much.

From the article in “The Voice”, you can infer practically everyone in Angeles City is opposed to the new mall at Clark. So who will win? My guess is probably the side that has the most money and better political connections.

A new mall anywhere is “progress” or considered so, despite any increased traffic and the raping (as painful anyway) of the down town retail center. My SWAG* is the mall will be built.

SM Mall is not to be confused with “Saver’s Mall”, a six to eight block walk from Field’s Avenue on MacArthur Highway.


SUMMARY OF ON-GOING CONSTRUCTION AROUND TOWN

The renovation of Misty’s is nearly finished. It will open the 17th. As far as I know, that leaves only one club still undergoing renovation, the Marine Bar.

Erection of the building (bar plus apartments) at the site of the old Tahitian Queen Club continues, as does the building (bars only) across the street from the Chicago Park Hotel and the building (more bars) next to the King of Diamonds Club.

Construction of the new building next door to DM Residente appears almost complete. I was told this building will contain ten furnished rooms, five upstairs and five down. According to information I have, these apartments will be for sale. Construction will begin next month on the new DM Residente building across the street from their present one.

The last time I looked, there was no activity at the site of the old Woody’s Club. Woody’s has been removed and the lot cleared, and a new club tentatively named “The White House” will be built there. The White House is tentatively scheduled to open early 2003.

Construction on Field’s Avenue is continuing. Most of the current work is on the block in front of Margarita Station and the first block past walking toward MacArthur Highway.

The Pure Gold construction on MacArthur Highway in Dau appears to be about three-six months away from completion. It will be another large shopping center or so I was told.


NEW NOKIA CELL PHONE

The Nokia model 7650 cell phone is now available. Some of the shops at Saver’s Mall have it for about 28,000 pesos. This new phone is rather bulky compared to most of the current popular Nokia models because it contains a camera. YES! You can take photos with this phone and send them to your buddies and girl friend(s).

I don’t know what the cost is of sending your own photos and I can’t give you any particulars on the phone. If yall would like me to check out the 7650 and write a review, send your donations to: PI Joe
C/O DM Residente Apartments, Angeles City, PI 2009.

When I accumulate the necessary funds, I will buy one and evaluate it for you. I’ll even send you a free pic of your favorite AC chick, hopefully not entering one of the local hotels with another dude.

If you folks aren’t sufficiently magnanimous with your donations, I’m considering buying the 7650 on my own since I’ve been hooked on electronic gadgets since I was old enough to walk. I know what you’re thinking. If I buy the phone myself, no, I ain’t gonna send you free photos of your AC love-mate. So if you want current pics of the girl you’re sending all that cash to every month, send those donations to me pronto! I accept Western Union transmittals too. Deposits to my dollar savings account in AC are also welcome.

Actually I’ve already done a modicum of research on the camera. Besides the price, there’s one major disadvantage. You can only send photos to the same cell phone or one of the new Sony models. The current crop of popular cell phones will not receive photos from the 7650. You can send them directly from the cell phone to standard internet email addresses. The photos are also “downloadable” from the cell phone to a PC.

I won’t delve into the technical details of the camera in the phone, but will just say that it can store one megabyte of photos. At “standard” resolution on the camera, that’s forty pics, which means each photo is about twenty-five kilobytes.

If you’re in the market for a cell phone and have cash you really don’t need, the 7650 might be a good purchase. If you’re looking to take good-quality digital photographs, you will be much wiser to purchase a camera dedicated to that purpose.

I expect the market will grow for cell phones with cameras, as more models with this feature become available, prices drop and the storage capacity and resolution improve.


THE PHILIPPINE POPULATION

According to a speech made by the Philippino Ambassador to the Netherlands at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Manila, the population of the Philippines will be in the neighborhood of 160 million by 2031 at the current growth rate of 2.4% a year. The Ambassador claimed the vast majority of the 160 million will be living below the poverty line. If these numbers are anywhere at all accurate, this country is shortly facing severe socio-economic problems that may be solvable only by total social upheaval.

The current Philippino population is about 80 million, 32 million already living below the poverty level, according to the Ambassador. He stated that President Arroyo has pledged to cut the poverty rate in half, from 40% to 20% in the next ten years. Oh yeah, who wants to bet a bundle of cash on that becoming reality?

The Ambassador went on to say that President Arroyo has not yet promulgated a policy for reducing the growth rate in the country, “but that the general perception is that the emphasis in family planning service is shifting towards ‘natural methods’”. I take that statement to mean that chemical birth-control methods (birth control pills) are not included as an option. The Ambassador said better family planning and reproductive education are needed to reduce the growth rate. Yeah, right, fat chance! In other words, the government is doing nothing and population control will be left to the people.

In a related statement explaining why many Filipinos have large families, but poignantly underscoring one reason most of the girls in the clubs never have any real chance of economic improvement, the Ambassador said, “In a country like the Philippines, particularly in the rural areas, each child is considered a potential earner for the family…..” His statement is an oblique reference to couples having large numbers of children so they can sponge off their kids when they reach employment age. A couple of Filipino acquaintances made more direct and critical observations, one referring to parents “feeding” off their kids as “parasites”.

Additionally, the Ambassador declined to address the recent comments by U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone about corruption in the Philippines.

His speech was reported in the September 6-14, 2002 issue of “What’s On & Expat”. Their website is: www.whatson-expat.com.ph


MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

THE PESO-DOLLAR RATE

The peso hit 51.95 today 11 September, falling back to 51.90. The peso remained stable at 52.05 all weekend, 14-15 September. The high at Norma’s in the last two months has been 52.25.

SWAGMAN HOTEL’S BODY PAINTING AND WET T-SHIRT CONTESTS

I put this info in the wrong section last newsletter, so I’ll repeat it here for anyone that might have missed it. Their body painting contest is scheduled for Tuesday, 22 October, followed by their wet T-shirt contest Tuesday, 29 October. These events normally start around 11 AM and last until about 5 PM. Plan to stay the whole day folks!

MISTY’S GROUP WEB SITE

The URL for the Misty’s Group of clubs is: www.asianfields.com
Coming soon, a list of URL~s for AC.


*Swag – Swinging wild-ass guess

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!


PI Joe

THE PI JOE NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2002 # 03
16 - 30 SEPTEMBER

“The Public Has A Right To Know”


CLUB AND BAR INFORMATION

Another friend came to town, so I’ve done a lot of bar hopping this month. (Eat your heart out dudes, PI Joe is here and you’re not). Actually, it’s been one heck of a bar hopping month. I’ve bar hopped more this month than in the last three months combined. My expenses this month show it too! Here’s a list of the clubs I’ve visited recently, some of these several times:

Nero’s, The Club, Road House, Illusions, Misty’s, DMZ, Voodoo, Blue Fox, Y Bar, Kokomo’s, Dirty Duck, Welcome Inn, Champagne, Confetti’s, The Jungle, Monte Carlo, The Kitten, Flamingo, Cambodia, Club Rio, Emotions and Pecos Pete’s.

We went into Emotions about 6 PM one night. All the girls were already working. I was told the club opens at noon now. We found the girls to be very friendly and eager to talk to us.

We were in Pecos Pete’s about 6 PM. They had only four girls working in it but two of them were cute.

Welcome Inn had only seven or eight girls but it was late when we went to this bar.

Illusions had a large contingent of chicks the night we were there. There were a couple I would go back to see if I had the cash and free time.

Voodoo has some nice chicks in it now, a couple that have returned after being out of circulation for a while. I won’t mention any names but check it out.

We turned up at Club Rio just in time for one of their shows. A couple of the girls said Rio has the shows every Wednesday, but the Momma said “sometimes” on Wednesdays. The shows are not advertised so you have to go there to find out if a show is scheduled for the following Wednesday. Check with the momma to get the facts.

The entrance fee is 300 pesos but your drinks and food are free. The girls will serve you the food. You don’t even have to get out of your seat. The show starts about 3 PM and goes until about 6. The one we attended finished about 5:30 PM. The show is pretty good. They also have a drawing for three free short-times at the end of the party. About twenty guys were in the bar for the drawing, so the chances of winning a free short-time are pretty good. Yours truly won one of the free short-times (Don’t tell my girl friend). Actually I gave it to a friend who was most appreciative. I bought one young lady several tequila shots. Her drinks were 100 pesos each, same for lady’s margaritas.

Misty’s re-opened to a packed Dog House meeting on the 17th this month. We didn’t make it that night but did a few nights later. It was still busy but we managed to find a couple of seats in front of the dance floor.

The end of the dance floor nearest the entrance to the club has been blocked off. The dance floor has been extended to the rear of the bar. The dance floor is a straight rectangle which flays out into a somewhat oval area in the rear of the club. In order to get to the CR now, you must go around the front of the dance floor and then walk to the rear of the club. Besides perhaps new lighting I didn’t notice any other changes.

The Dirty Duck bar has been sold. There’s another new bar going up beside Exotica.

Clubs continue to have shows. The Kitten Club had their three-year anniversary party. Flamingo had another show-contest and Voodoo had their “Christmas in September” party.

The Ayer’s Rock restaurant on the second floor is now open.

Confetti’s has purchased the King of Diamonds Club (KOD). No word when KOD will re-open.

Kokomo’s next Wet T-shirt contest is scheduled October 5. Don’t forget Swagman’s contest is coming up later in October also.


Angeles City URL~S

Here’s a short list of internet URL~s for AC and related sites. These sites, with their own internet links, have almost all the information you would ever want about AC.

Margarita Station: www.theville.com

Kokomo’s: www.kokomoz.com

Rick’s Café: www.rickcafe.com

The three links above have a wealth of information plus numerous other URL~s to the Philippines not listed here. They also have the most links to the club sites in AC.

Balibago Board: www.balibago.com

AC4You Board: www.ac4you.com

Angeles2 Board: www.angeles2.com

Angeles2 Message http://angeles2.com/board/wwwthreads.pl
Board:

Go2Phil Board: www.go2phil.com

Retirement in AC: www.angelescity.net

Marriage in the PI: http://travel.state.gov/marriage_visas.html

VFW in AC: http://vfwpost2485.org

Current peso-$ rate: http://quote.yahoo.com/m5?a=1&s=USD&t=PHP

U.S. Embassy in http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/rp1/wwwh3004.html
Manila:


CLARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DEVELOPMENTS

A citizens group, the PGKM has slammed the Clark Development Corporation for failing to act on the PIATCO deal in the latest issue of The Voice, September 8-14, 2002.

PIATCO, the Philippines International Air Terminals Corporation, holds the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract for terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. During the tenure of President Estrada, several clauses were inserted into the contract, one limiting the operation of the Clark facility to 850,000 passengers for three years and prohibiting the development of another international airport in Luzon.

One of President Gloria Arroyo’s advisers recently declared the BOT contract held by PIATCO “onerous and detrimental to the full development of the Clark International Airport” (Recently renamed the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport [DMIA]. Diosdado Macapagal is a past president of the Philippines and President Arroyo’s father).

The PGKM claims the CDC knew of these onerous provisions in the BOT and failed to warn President Arroyo. PGKM is calling for the resignation of the CDC executives.

What is significant is not the public squabble over the BOT contract, but whether or not the contract will be rescinded. Would revocation clear the way for immediate development of Clark into an international airport?


CLARK SM MALL LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

In the same issue of The Voice, the Metro Angeles City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc (MACCII) has announced its support for the proposed SM Mall on Clark. As reported previously, most of the retailers in Angeles are opposed to the new mall. What gives here? I thought the Chamber of Commerce was supposed to represent the business organizations of their city. In the latest issue of The Voice, the groups opposed to the mall are planning a huge protest rally October 20 in front of the main gate of Clark. Get ready for a knock-down, drag-out over this mall, folks.


FLY THE BUS SERVICE

Per a couple of requests, here’s the info on the Swagman Hotel’s “Fly the Bus” service. They will pick you up at the airport upon your arrival and take you to the Swagman Hotel in Manila. From there you can catch their bus to various cities in the Philippines. Check their website for their bus schedules and routes. Insure you have timely connections from their hotel to your destination.

To make arrangements for a pickup at the airport, call or email them. Include your airline, flight number, date and time of arrival. The charge for the ride from the airport to their hotel in Manila is 200 pesos. The charge for the ride from their hotel to AC is 350 pesos.

Swagman email in Manila: bookings@swaggy.com
Swagman web site: www.swaggy.com
Swagman Hotel Phone Numbers In Manila: (63)(2)523-8541 through 8545


MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

THE PESO-DOLLAR RATE

September 17, the peso hit its high again this year (as far as I know) of 52.25. Tuesday, September 24 it climbed to 52.30. Later in the same week, it hit another new high of 52.45, closing at that rate on Friday, September 27. The rate closed on Monday, 30 September at 52.35.

M0DULAR KITCHENS BY HANS

For those of you who know Hans Braun, he’s started a new business in AC, modular kitchens. For all your kitchen needs, give Hans a call at 045-892-1631 or on his cell phone at 0917-748-5348. Hans has been around AC for years. He previously ran the Cleopatra Club and recently the Mirrors Bar in the Clarkton Hotel.

THE ORCHID INN RAISES PRICES

The Orchid has announced a price increase on their rooms effective 01 December 2002. See the attachment (Orchid Ltr).

THE BEST MILKSHAKES ON FIELD’S AVENUE

For my money, Margarita Station has the best milkshakes in town. M-ville uses real ice cream. Their standard flavors include chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and one other off-the-wall flavor I can’t remember. They are 67 pesos each. They also have two fruit flavors and several varieties of milkshakes with booze in them, great for "loosening up" the shy young one accompanying you home.

A CASE OF REALLY BAD TIMING

9/11 last year was not a good day to use the “I’m at the office” excuse with the wife. See the attachment (d9-11). Thanks to a friend for forwarding this to me.

It’s time to wrap this one up and send it out. Yall come on down!


That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!


PI Joe