Skating - Clark AirBase- Philippines                                                                                                                             Return

Old Clark Air Base, is about 2 -3 hours away from Manila. http://www.clarkab.com   http://www.raoclark.org/index.php?Itemid=1

For those not familiar with it Clark used to be the largest US Military base outside of the US, with 156,204 acres.
For nearly 90 years this base in central Luzon was key installation in the Pacific. It began in 1902 as a U.S. Cavalary post named Fort Stotsenberg. During World War II it was captured by the Japanese. In 1945 by General MacArthur's forces, returned and reclaimed the base. Then, when the United States Air Force became a separate service, it was reborn as Clark Air Base. It was a key support base through two Asian wars. Then in 1991 a combination of the eruption of the Volcano Pinatubo, the US cutting back overseas Military and a very few local loud voices it was turned back over to the local government.

What it meant to me was there should be a place good for skating on the weekend not to far from the city. Well that was about half correct. Effects of the Volcano, lack of continuous road maintenance, and generally rough treatment, means some roads are still ok for skating, others have been reduced to concrete and mud lanes. It takes a lot of focus here. Holes and broken bits of concrete are everywhere.

I have heard recently that some of the base roads have been repaired and it some parts are not quite good. But it is a bit far out to check.

 

Category

Category Description

Graph

Explanation

Road Surface

Describes road surface conditions

 

The road surfaces here are some of the worst. Some are ok, but many are just too bad to even think about skating on.

Road Conditions

Is there enough room for skating on the road? Are intersections crossable?

Traffic always was friendly towards us, and many roads had little traffic. But overall it could be a tough skate

Traffic Conditions

Describes level and condition of traffic. Is the traffic heavy, fast or erratic.

Traffic was fine, sometimes a bit busy and many of the roads are too small to share.

Driver Attitudes

Describes how drivers react to and treat skaters

 

I was a polite skater, (as always) and everyone was friendly and unlike the USA  and no cars tried to frighten us or make as to hit us. The roads could be busy at times, but I never had a problem with drivers while skating.

Danger Level

Describes overall danger of skating in this location. Everyplace is dangerous to street skate. Street skating means crumbling roads, bad drivers (or worse), air pollution and even nature. But some places are more dangerous than others

Roads were not good, some very bad. People friendly. The Sun can be a real challenge.

Criminal Factor

How serious is crime in this location.

 

I hear stories about crime and the Philippines but myself I have not seen anything, have not heard anything about something happening firsthand. The retired Military guys around the area told me crime could be very bad. But I did not see anything that looked bad myself.

Cool Factor

Is this a cool place to skate.

It is cool, sort of. Rough roads, but it was the air base, that in itself is cool. It is the base General MacArthur's forces, returned and reclaimed.

Fun Factor

Is this a fun place to skate.

 

Fun, maybe yes, maybe no. But certainly parts of it could be challenging

Sidewalks

Are there sidewalks, and if there are what are they like? Often having sidewalks can be worse than not having them. With a bad sidewalk drivers may assume you should be using it - no matter how dangerous it is to use, and react very badly when they see you on the road instead of the sidewalk.

 

What is a sidewalk?

Misc

Any other conditions or issues that were found while skating here

 

 The roads that had fallen to pieces. The roads scattered with bits of concrete and of course The Sun!!!! It can get hot here!!

Summary

A summarization of the skating experience at this location.

I crashed here, a lot. Ok I should have been more focused. But I would be looking around at the old base, hit a hole, or get some concrete stuck in between my wheels and down I would go.

Desire to Return - Overall Rating

The bottom line. Is the place good enough that we want to return here to skate it more. With all the above taken into consideration how much are we looking forward return and skate this location further.

 

Return? No not really. I would rather go to Fort Bonifacio - Global City, that is really close to Manila and much safer? I have heard recently that some of the base roads have been repaired and it some parts are not quite good. But it is a bit far out to check.

Disclaimer

                                                                                 

 

Services

Airport Pick Up

Please arrange car pick up to and from airport.

Airport Tax

All travellers leaving the country by way of Manila international airport must pay a Peso 550 departure tax.

Business Hours

Private and government offices are open either from 8 a.m to 5 p.m or from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some private companies are open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Most shopping centers and department stores are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Most banks operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.

Clothing

Summer-weight clothing is suitable in Manila. Conducting business calls in short or long-sleeved shirt and tie without a coat is common and acceptable. However, for formal meetings, either a two-piece suit or the native "barong tagalog" (a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt worn without a tie) is the popular attire. Light suits and dresses are appropriate for women.

Currency

PHP (Philippino Peso)

Custom Rules and Regulations

Tobacco Products: 200 cigarettes (double for residents) or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco.

Alcoholic Beverages: 2 bottles of wine and 2 bottles of liquor.

Entry Requirements

All visitors to the Philippines must have a valid passport for a period of not less than six months beyond the intended period of stay. Visas are required for all visitors except: 1) transit passengers; 2) foreign tourists and business travelers, provided that their length of stay does not exceed 21 days, passports are valid, and they have return or onward tickets; 3) citizens of Hong Kong, British and Macau are allowed to enter the Philippines without visas for a stay of not exceeding seven days. Visitors can get visa extensions by visiting the Bureau of Immigration in downtown Manila, though the process can take up most of a day. Many travel agencies can handle the task for you for a fee of about 500 pesos.

Health Risks

Among the most common diseases in the Philippines are dengue hemorrhagic fever, hepatitis and cholera. Wear long sleeves or bring plenty of insect repellant when visiting rural areas. Drink bottled water.

 

 

Language

Pilipino is the national language. English is widely spoken and is extensively used in business and government, making the Philippines the third-largest English-speaking country in the world. Chinese and Spanish are other major languages spoken by some groups, aside from about 100 regional dialects.

Local Climate

The city is protected from extreme weather conditions by the hills of the Eastern Cordillera to the east and by the mountains of Bataan Peninsula, which lies west of Manila Bay. The tropical climate is characterized by a wet season that lasts from June to November and by a dry season lasting from December to May. High humidity and thunderstorms are common in July, August, and September, when more rain is received than in other months.

Name of Airport

Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is about 9 kilometers from the Makati business district, but the ride can take up to two hours in rush hour traffic or heavy rains. An airport tax of 550 pesos is charged upon departure. For general information call tel: 877-1109; for flight information, tel: 833-8135.

Phone adaptors

Power adaptors


Tipping

The standard practice is to add 10% of the total bill in restaurants. However, some establishments already include a 10% service charge, making additional tipping optional. For cabs, it is customary to round off the fare.

Useful Links

Philippines - Department of Tourism - OnLine
CIA -- The World Factbook -- Philippines

Useful Numbers

Call 117 for Police assistance
Flight Information: 877-1100; 833-8135
Visa Card hotline: 1-800-1111-9015
MasterCard hotline: 1-800-1111-0061

Voltage

220V

 

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