Olongapo
and Subic Bay Freeport Night Life |
Olongapo
has a wide variety of entertainment venues, The most visited
by tourist are those on the Subic Bay Freeport, those along
Magsaysay ave. of olongapo and those along National highway
in Barrio Barretto.
Barrio Barretto has mostly "Gentleman clubs"
that cater mostly to the international male guest. More information
here
There is a wide variety of nightlife available in the Subic
Bay area. At the height of the US military presence in Subic,
most Filipinos generally looked at Olongapo with disgust.
They saw that it was there mostly to cater to the carnal needs
of the American sailor. There was hundreds of clubs located
outside the main gate, in Barrio Barretto, or in nearby Subic.
When the Navy departed the Mayor of Olongapo started to clean
up the image of the city. Faced with lack of customers and
government pressure, the establishments that provided such
services soon were gone from downtown Olongapo. Added to these
buildings are the Navy recreational services activities that
were deserted. With the economic recovery of the area and
a healthy population of young people, many of these empty
buildings have reopened to meet the needs of the young Filipino. |
Filipino’s
love music and many are very talented. Every year
thousands of Filipinos travel to other Asian countries
as musicians and singers. In the navy days musicians
looked upon Olongapo as almost a Mecca. The many clubs
offered opportunities that were unmatched in any other
part of the Philippines. If a band was lucky enough
to get a gig at a club on the base and the sailors
like them, they might get a contract to tour military
clubs around Asia. Olongapo has long been known for
it’s live music and that tradition continues.
Today a large number of Clubs in Olongapo offer live
music. Live music is not just in the clubs some dinning
facilities such as Sam’s Pizza are also known
for its live entertainment. |
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| Pier
One at Moonbay Marina, SBMA, has become the number one club
for live music. Located on the waterfront the restaurant/club
plays host to some of the countries top stars. As you listen
to the music, you can also enjoy the sea and ocean breeze.
The venue openness is also a disadvantage during poor weather..
The Neptune Club also has live entertainment most weekends.
The clubs on SBMA are generally more expensive than those
off base.In Olongapo city just outside the SBMA main gate
are a number of clubs offering live music. Here are some of
the most popular. The Subic Hard Rock café (not affiliated
with the famous chain) offers continuous live music every
night. Two bands alternate sets. The café serves a
menu of pizza, light meals and snacks with a full bar. The
café generally starts to full up around 10 on weekends.
Across from Hard Rock is Cal Jam. The Cal Jam is a larger
club also with live entertainment. They host one band that
alternates with a DJ. This is a good place to come for a “disco”
type dancing. |
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A
club with a lounge type of atmosphere is Willies. It
has two bands each night that alternate through out
the evening. The bands play a variety of music and perform
many requests. The club has also seemed to become very
popular with Filipino movie and television stars. Frequently
stars drop in unannounced when they are in town and
join the bands on stage.
A place that deserves a special note is Sam’s
Pizza. It offers live music in a family atmosphere,
offers a variety of foods and even has children’s
game room. This love of music also shows itself in the
many Karaoke bars in all parts of the country. Olongapo
also has a large selection of them ranging from simple
places to elaborate clubs with private rooms. There
are also a number of discos in the area. |
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Many
clubs have signs that say disco but most are not. Many of
them are just clubs with GRO’s and makes no attempt
to be a disco. Gigolo is a popular club that
is a disco. It is a large club near the end of Magasaysay
near Rizal Street. It is a very popular spot with the young
college crowd. Empty till around 10 pm and than rapidly fills
on most nights. Large dance floor, interesting lighting and
new music gets everyone’s attention.. Next to Gigolo
is another disco type venue. Called Tech 3 it is noted for
its techno music. Not as popular as gigolo it still gets a
good and young crowd. On SBMA, Neptune has a disco as well
as karaoke rooms.
Casino Filipino is located on Magasaysay
St. just outside the SBMA. Part of the government chain of
Casinos, it is normally crowded, with little room to move
around and very smoky.
While there are things to do around the entire area, most
of the better establishments exist in the central business
district of SBMA and along Magasaysay Ave. in Olongapo. A
small entertainment district also exists along National highway
in Barrio Barretto and around Baloy
long beach. |
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