HarryTheHorse - Angeles City Expat Newsletter for June 2003

Let me get straight into it this month. First though, I have to go all the way back to April 25^th when our great Aussie comrades in arms got together at the Ponderosa to observe ANZAC Day. My May column had already been completed and sent off to the Duck for editing so this explains why you are reading about it now. The day started off with a dawn ceremony at the Clark cemetery, 0700 hrs and then everyone headed over to the Ponderosa for a "Gunfire Breakfast", a short speech, a bit of drinking and awarding of raffle prizes. Being a Yank I had no idea what a "Gunfire Breakfast" was but I soon discovered it was not my usual bacon, sausage and eggs. Served up was a robust beef stew, sausage and bread and it was explained that this is tradition as that is what was served to the Aussie troops during the ANZAC battle. Next year I will carry along some rice and a bit of hot sauce for the beef.

Pictured are a few of the folks in attendance that I thought represented the tradition of the day. I was honored to meet Bob Berridge, Brisbane, Australia who was wearing his father's medals from WW1 as well as his own from the Malaya Campaign. Bill Fein, from the Gold Coast, Australia wore the medals awarded to him for his service in Korea. Bill served in the Navy and wanted me to know that at that time, he was the youngest returning serviceman. Representing the active duty forces was Stuart Graham, Royal Australian Engineers who was attending the Philippine Army General Command and Staff College in Manila. Last but not least is the well respected President of the RSL, Doug Errington shown wearing the medals earned during the Vietnam campaign.

Eddie Moore has been visiting Angeles City for 15 years and has some sort of scar symbolic of his being from Tasmania. For some reason, everyone started telling Tasmanian jokes while I talked to Eddie. He indicated that his favorite bar is "Champagne" because he enjoys the friendly staff, especially the Mamasans. He is a bit soft on one that always dances with him at the door. He also is enthralled with all the waitresses, dancers, well, just everyone. Eddie really likes that bar, so much so, that I decided to visit that establishment and see if I could find either my "I would if I could lady" or the managers choice. I'm doing that just for you Eddie.

This bar, located in the Diamond Subdivision, was previously known as "Moons" and was never the greatest place to stop in for a drink. It always had a rather unkempt, smelly atmosphere but cheap drinks can always overcome a bit of untidiness. When I heard that Bob finally got smart, left the country and sold the bar I was hopeful that new owner, Migger Snyder (boy, have to be careful with that first name), German, who took over on 6 Mar would make some great improvements. Nothing much has changed, but there was a bit of paint splashed on the face in an attempt to make it appear cleaner, the inside bar near the pool table was removed and a sleeping area added. The ladies on hand were personable but lacking in the looks department but that can be overcome by lots of inexpensive drinks. There was always one good point about Moons, it was a bit tidier than Iron Horse and now, I am happy to report that establishment has closed. Corky is out and the building has been taken over by a Hardware store. So, Hug and Kisses, the day I went there, was empty of customers, they were all next door at the Pearly Gates, which in my opinion, is the place to go if you absolutely have to go to that area of town. But then, if you are that close you might as well visit the Swagman, Patio or Marble Inn for a bit more comfortable setting.

How many times has Cleopatra been closed for renovations, maybe four? I lost count but here we go again as Robert Sullivan has finally found someone to buy it and of course, renovations will be made before opening again. The new owner already has a business in Thailand and will be bringing that experience here. It will be interesting to see the new designs when it finally reopens as there is plenty of space to play around with and the location is right on!

UPDATE: This club opened its doors on 21 May and I will provide updated pictures in the July issue).

Kiwi, a well know face about town, wanted one and all to know that he is very upset! He said that he has been robbed of many items over the years and can take it in stride, but someone robbing his dogs flea collar was the last straw. By the way, it was his four legged dog!

Some pictures are too good to pass up. While driving on Perimeter Road last month I spotted this car with its tail up in the air. I drove home, retrieved my camera and drove on Base, stopped and took this picture. It was the morning after a very heavy rain the night before and possibly this driver was speeding, applied the brakes and severe skidding resulted. Or, since it was right in front of the cemetery, possibly, a ghost appeared and scared the shit out of the driver; whatever the reason, dear driver, thanks for this great photo opportunity. Let me add one more photo that depicts the wonderful driving habits of our Filipino bus drivers. I wonder if that ghost from Clark Cemetery tends to travel?

The Hollywood Bar is closed and the girls transferred to the Dirty Duck. Not enough business to keep the Hollywood open.

Volcano Club closed for renovations. I have heard that one of the major jobs will be to remove the imitation tree.

Finally, Gerard was able to sell the Pick-Up Club for an amount of money that only someone like Champagne Group's Horst could afford. Lets see what happens next.

Heard a true story about an expat living here that reflects how, if one lives here long enough, your brain loses some of its

functions. This particular lad has a wife that, being a bit jealous, stabbed him in the stomach which necessitated hospitalization and an operation. For some reason this latest operation (he has had six previous operations) has made him feel terrific, so much so that he says he "feels like a 21 year old". Well enough except that he now has arranged a rather interesting schedule that allows him to stay with his girlfriend Mon-Wed-Fri and his wife on Tues-Thurs-Sat but does he rest on Sunday? Absolutely not, he indicates that on Sundays he will give each lady half a day each. When reminded that his wife loves to use a knife and that he may wake up one night without the necessary tool to do his business, he replied that no problem, his wife is happy because he has bought her a house and lot and doesn't care what he does anymore. All I can say to this rejuvenated 50 year old is, "sweet dreams"

My ears have picked up news, from a very reliable source that the controversial construction of the SM Mall at Clark is a done deal. The location will be near the main gate, where the Customs Office is located. Interested groups opposed to this site wanted it located near the Expo at the back of the Economic Zone to avoid congestion along MacArthur Highway. The President, during a recent visit, made the final decision. Additionally, a new shopping mall is under construction near the Balibago side of the Ababacan Bridge, right next to the Santa Maria Subdivision. The building will be owned by Robinson's. Be prepared for some horrendous traffic jams in this area. One last note is that it was rumored that the Ayala Corp. was prepared to purchase the property presently occupied by the Piggery next to the Angeles City tollway entrance to the expressway but changed their minds when the construction plans of SM and Robinsons were revealed.

Korean owned Asiana Airlines is supposed to start flight operations at the DMIA on 4 July with flights to the United States. The route will be from Clark to Incheon Airport, Korea and transfer to a connecting flight to the States. One drawback is that the traveler will encounter a 12 hour layover. Scheduled departure from Clark will be midnight and arrive Incheon at 0500. If one can stay awake long enough a City tour is planned to occupy those 12 hours. More details will be provided as they become available.

Remembering Lita - How many expats in town remember the notorious "Lita" that used to work in the 7^th Street Immigration Office and was ultimately, finally relieved of her job after many, many foreigners were taken for large sums of money through her alleged misappropriations of monies paid to her for immigration services. I suspect Lowell Johnson will have fond memories of this lady. According to the Sun Star Pampanga newspaper it appears that a Angelita Median a.k.a. Angelita Median-Jose (Lita), allegedly continues to pose as an immigration officer who "expedites" visas and other documents for locals under petition by their relatives in the United States. Anyway folks, just be aware of this name and do not get involved with this lady in any way. I suspect the police and courts will be keeping her a bit busy for a while.

Courting votes? A politician in San Fernando has submitted House Bill 5839 entitled "An Act Changing the name of B. Mendoza Street along the Pollacion area in Barangay Sta. Rosario, City of San Fernando Pampanga into FY Manalo Street". Manalo is the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) Church that has thousands of devoted members who blindly vote as directed by Manalo in any important election. With major elections coming up in May 2004 will courting votes by naming streets after religious leaders be a new trend? If this is the case then will Fields Ave by renamed "Sin Ave" after Cardinal Sin?

There are big changes coming to Hidden Vale (previously Greenlands), the beautiful resort well known in Angeles City that has been in limbo for many months. New investment money will be poured into this facility by an unnamed group of investors that have already hired a Filipino consultancy organization to take over the day to day operations. New General Manager, Attorney Rex Reseuna has been on board for a number of weeks checking things out and any staff changes will be announced on 31 May. Some of the staff, like Sports Director Damien, has had to submit to a lengthy two hour presentation explaining what his job is and what he contributes to Hidden Vale. Attorney Rex is personable but avoids having his picture taken but since he is on a six month contract (renewable) I am sure his picture will turn up in the media by and by. Details of what is planned for this resort are not available at this time but Greg has indicated that general membership meetings will be held to explain present and future plans within a short period of time. A great deal of money will be infused into this facility and Greg maintains ownership but will be taking a back seat in the day to day operations.

Mr. McDougal has assured me that he is taking action to pay off all previous debts incurred under his watch and this will be good news to the people that have waited, patiently (?), for this to happen. All of this is good news for the membership, the community, the investors, Greg McDougal and the staff. Hopefully, more details on future plans will be available for me to pass on in my next column.

For the information of Attorney Rex, be advised that the Philippine International Hospital (PIH) has six, new operational ambulances in their inventory.

While visiting Las Vegas I had the pleasure of meeting up with young, energetic businessman Keith Heit who, as a frequent visitor to Angeles City, is always trying to figure out how he can spend more time here and still run his successful Tanning Salon businesses. I was surprised to know that, in Las Vegas, where obtaining a tan the natural way should be simple, that so many people opt for the machine to do it for them. Keith has opened four salons and I had the opportunity to visit two of them with my favorite being the one located at the Las Vegas Athletic Club on Maryland Parkway. Keith and his Dad had an idea and it is paying off as more Salons are being planned. I was impressed with the facilities but what really caught my eye were the young, energetic, good looking ladies he employs at the front desk of each salon. Too bad they don't have short times in Las Vegas, if they did, I would definitely return to AC with one hell of a tan!

Many favorable reports have reached me from readers that have dined at Finnagins in La Union, so many in fact that I may plan a trip to La Union for the specific purpose of eating there. The latest comment follows: "On the way to Baguio, we stopped at Finnagins in La Union, perhaps the best kept secret in Northern Luzon. They offered 750 grams of Lobster Thermador for P487 and many other seafood dishes for less than P350. What a sea food restaurant this was and anyone driving through La Union had better stop at this place. My compliments are off to Peter at Finnegans. He is a true professional who offers his customers genuine great food at an affordable price."

Jack (Cadillac)Turner passed away in hospital due to his system just giving out after so many years of heavy drinking. He had been an interesting resident of Angeles City for many years and was subject to many "Jack Turner stories" over the years. Sadly, all good stories always have an ending. So long Jack!

Stacy Castro, after checking into the Marquis Hotel one night last month, committed suicide by cutting his wrists and arm, thereby bleeding to death. Stacy was the owner of the Good Times Bar on Perimeter Road and had been experiencing extreme financial difficulties. He left behind his 19 year old girlfriend and four year old daughter. Sympathies go out to those he left behind.

Various clubs in town and individuals joined forces on 16 May to raise funds for the two people left behind by Stacy Castro's suicide, 19 year old Mylin (girlfriend) and his daughter, 2 year old Genalyn. Stacy sudden departure kind of left Mylin in a bit of a financial fix. A fun get together was arranged at the Voodoo and Foxy's bars that raised P45,000 to be given to Mylin in order to help her adjust, financially, to her unexpected situation. The following establishments got together to arrange this fund raiser: Action Travel, Ayer's Rock, Byrd Cage, Coconut Grove Hotel, Confetti's, Dirty Duck, Go2Phil.com, Jungle Bar, Lollipop, Orchid Inn, Powder Keg, Private Dancer, Rhapsody, Roadhouse, Silver Bullet, Thi-Hi, Tom Cat, Villa Modesto Hotel and Wet Seals. Kokomos donated all the food; The admission was P500 for all you could drink (top shelf included) and eat and P350 was donated to Mylin, additionally, for every ladies drink at P100 half went in the kitty. Many of the individual customers put money in the kitty as well as bidding on various prizes offered. Paul (motor mouth) Willis out bid one and all for a 31 day EWR to be used at Voodoo or Treasure Island; it was a lively bidding as Paul upped the ante but when he finally bid P15, 500 he brought the crowd and other bidders to silence as Mo counted out, "going once, twice, three - SOLD to Paul". The question now is, will Paul really use this very fulfilling prize?

Romance is alive and well in Angeles City as demonstrated by lovely couple Ray (Baseman) and Eileen picture here while attending the Stacy fund raiser at the Voodoo. Ray has been in Angeles City for two years and is from Los Angeles. Eileen is from Quezon Province and their happiness was helped along by the fact that Eileen has obtained her visa allowing her to accompany Ray to the States where they will stay for a couple of years. Believe it or not, there are a lot of successful love stories in Angeles City and this is one of them. Bon Voyage Ray and Eileen, may those smiles of happiness stay with you forever.

During the recently concluded US/Filipino joint military exercise held at Clark the GI's were restricted to the base so their presence did not help the clubs in town that have been suffering from a lack of business. But, a few clubs were able to do rather well, particularly the DMZ. The night I visited Tick's DMZ club I got there just in time to see all his girls boarding a van to take them on base. What a delectable cargo that was and the marines that placed the order had to be well satisfied at what they got. During this period the DMZ at times closed up as early as 8:30 PM as there were no dancers left. Bottom line, you can keep the troops from Fields Ave, but you can't keep "Fields" from the troops!

A reader of this column forwarded me a copy of his complaint to Mr. Denis Uy, owner of the local cable service in Angeles City. He has a couple of good suggestions but of course it is doubtful that he will get a reply or if any improvements will be forthcoming. In any event, any subscribers that do experience cable TV problems after 10 PM can call 323-7888, local 161 to register the problem. If anything else, it may keep the lad on duty awake as I am sure he has nothing to do except to read a book and take naps. My suggestion would be to keep a technician on duty all night that would be able to troubleshoot problems that can be corrected on site; naturally, visits to residences are not expected but some problems can be addressed by computer at the main office. For sure, this Horse will never get into the TV Cable business, too many complaints!! (By the way Dennis, your ESPN coverage of sports sucks, before you raised your prices three hundred percent, we used to get some US basketball and baseball coverage, now none).

Dear Dennis,

It is 03:40 in the morning and there is still no audio on channel 35. I called the ACCTN office at local 161 around 12:15 am and spoke to the young man on duty (sorry did not get his name) about the problem. He indicated that no one was on duty that could handle the problem. I suggested that he call the stand-by technician and have him report to duty and make whatever adjustments were necessary. He said he was instructed by you to make note of the problem and pass it along to the morning crew.

Considering the size of your subscriber base I thought you had someone on duty 24/7 to insure optimum performance. That is why I called the local extension as I have done in the past. I'm sure that there would be plenty to do for someone during those hours and I'm sure it will not cost much to have someone on duty. If the problem is with your source then the technician could put a statement on the channel stating the nature of the problem and the estimated time it will take to correct the problem.

A lot of people are paying for this service and as such are entitled to the service.

Part of the reason I am writing this is the attitude of the individual that I spoke to earlier, he just did not seem to care. When I asked him to let me know what was happening he did not even ask for my name or number. However when I said I would call you in 30 minutes he immediately requested my information. But here it is 3 ½ hours later and not a word from him.

Whenever I talk to you I always get the impression that you are striving to give us all the best service possible, but in the end with the exception of a few key personnel that I have met (Neel Dizon, Weng Valero and Sonny Dizon) your vision, your pursuit of excellence and reliable service is not shared by the majority of your work force.

One of the biggest irritants is your Job Order scheduling office which I believe is run by Ms. Alimorong and Mr. De La Pena. Just last week I went to the cable box distribution office on the 28^th and personally made an appointment with them to have my extension installed on the 29^th between 9 am and 12 noon. I waited until 12:30 pm and when no one showed nor did anyone call to explain why they did not show up I left to attend to other business. I left instructions with my household to call me if by chance they might show up at a later time. They did around 4 pm. I cancelled the rest of my meeting and quickly proceeded home to supervise the installation. According to Mr. Mandap and J.O. 00034869 there was no indication that he was to be at my house on the 29^th between the aforementioned hours. You might want to take a look at your organizational chart in this area and configure it to make your scheduling personnel more accountable. Again, I would be more than happy to share my knowledge on how to set up an efficient and more responsive system for you.

You need to amend your job order to include the date and time the customer will be expecting the technician.; Then you should ask the customer to indicate the time frame the technician/s were on the premises. This will insure you are getting the most efficient use of your work force and most important of all your customers will be much happier with a professional job done on time. There is no reason with all your crews being radio equipped for any customer to have to wait or not be notified when the crew will not be on time.

Regards,

Chuck Guinn

Ok, I promise not to take any more pictures of Harro for at least six months, maybe a year but I attended his pre-opening affair last month and could not resist taking a few snapshots. As you know, this used to be the location of the "Top End" Bar and after being closed down for a few months has now been reopened under Harro's leadership. There are not many interior changes other than a dance stage has been added, and of course, dancers along with a large contingent of waitresses. Heavier curtains have been installed to cover the windows and the air-conditioning is more than adequate. The pool table remains so no doubt Harro will be getting back into the various leagues in town. I figure the customer base will be the expats living here as well as a smattering of the tourists that can be enticed away from Fields Avenue. It is definitely a nice addition to Perimeter Road and will become a very decent neighborhood bar, well worth visiting for a few drinks. The dancers are not that great in the looks department but they do have the necessary personalities to make up for it. Lets face it, most bars do not have all beauty queens but it is performance that counts as well as having a management that looks after its customers and makes sure that they are satisfied. Knowing Harro, one need never worry about a "runner" from this establishment. Welcome back Harro - Good Luck!

Her name is Evelyn, works at Blueberry Hill recording drink tickets. She is 23, no children, is damn good looking with a very nice figure but after trying many times I could not get her to smile for a picture. After every picture I took she laughed and had a dazzling smile but you can see what I ended up with. I suspect she could be a charmer when the right guy comes along.

In my May column I did not mention the problems that a few of the bar owners ran into with the Immigration folks from Manila, especially one well known owner who was served with a mission order and "invited" to

Manila. He returned the next day but the trip cost him a great deal of money. A couple of other owners were subjected to this procedure and were able to maintain good relations at a lesser price. The subject is rather serious and, of course, a bit sensitive to write about, especially since this Horse would like to continue living here trouble free. The fact is, though, that it is cause for alarm within the Fields Ave area, especially for those owners that have large investments here. The situation was and remains serious enough that a special meeting was called by the Mayor where some of the affected bar owners were invited along with Rey Pineda, Major Miranda and Police Superintendent Jimmy Restua. The mayor voiced his concern about the various agencies asking for money from the bar owners. He asked that the people affected be open about it, and if approached, notify him as soon as possible. Colonel Restua informed the attendees that any agency (NBI, BID) must coordinate with the local police before presenting mission orders to pick up personnel here. If contacted report it to the police right away so the paperwork can be verified. Naturally, this is easier said than done as experience has shown that these NBI and Immigration folks are not that patient. The mayor indicated that he would be seeking a dialogue with the heads of the NBI and Immigration to address his concerns about what is perceived as excessive harassment of foreigners in this town. Mayor Lazatin again voiced his support for the business on Fields Ave., but stressed that the rules and guidelines set forth by his office must be followed. Concerned personnel in attendance were Horst (Volcano), Wolf (Illusions), Ray Kelly (Flamingo), Richard (Neros), Dave Fisher (Kokomos), Mark Smith (Roadhouse) and Heiko (Insomnia) and yours truly. It was an interesting meeting but how beneficial it was is still open for debate. We will let time decide that and see if things ease up a bit.

UPDATE: The Mayor kept his word and did bring this problem to Commissioner Domingo personally. It was reported in the Sun Star that Ms. Domingo sent a representative of her office to the Mayor's office two weeks ago to conduct an investigation into the alleged abuses. Well done Mayor Lazatin, let us hope that something positive comes out of this investigation and that it will not be just a white wash without digging out the true facts of what has been happening to some high profile club owners in this town. By the way, Ding Cervantes, Sun Star columnist reported that Commissioner Domingo will be running for political office in 2004, hopefully her "investigation" will be completed before that time.

If you are new to the area and considering what internet cable company to sign up with, please scratch Triasia.net off your list. It appears that their service to subscribers is rapidly deteriorating. Twice during the month of May subscribers were unable to connect to this server thereby causing great inconvenience and loss of revenue to those subscribers involved in financial transactions (As I write this access has been denied for four straight days and still counting). When calling Mr. Rodel, an employee of TRIASIA he was not able to give any idea as to when the latest problem would be fixed, his only comment was that they were "troubleshooting" but could not pinpoint the cause of the latest malfunction. After four days, the same answer was given, no matter who in the company was contacted. Management was not available to talk to as each morning they were not at work yet. TRIASIA.NET is a family owned business and being a dial up system is extremely slow so one would be better off opting for either COMCLARK's cable service or Digitel's DSL service that are more reliable and 100 times faster for downloads. Naturally, these services are more expensive but then you get what you pay for. I have stayed with TRIASIA for many years because of the inconvenience of changing servers and yes, I admit it, the very reasonable monthly cost. Regretfully, after this latest shut down which happens every year, I think it is time for me to bail out, bite the bullet and pay for a more reliable, faster internet service.

UPDATE: Regretfully, 10 days later Triasia is still off line. Now, when a subscriber calls the response is that there is a problem with the carrier and that the problem will be resolved on 31 May. This may be getting closer to the truth but last week the company was flat out lying to subscribers as they were saying that it was "technical" and they were trouble shooting the problem. This horse went to their office and interviewed the employee on duty and after extensive questioning I was able to finally coerce from him the explanation that had a bit more truth to it. Actually, the Carrier has cut the service to Triasia because of non-payment of required fees. It is not a technical problem, but simply a debt that has to be paid. When I called the owner to confirm this, he both confirmed and denied this. He told me that he did owe the carrier for one month's billing but that he had a line of credit but then he also tried to blame subscribers who had not paid their bill. Further conversation ended with him being rather irate and saying that some employees were trying to besmirch his company and that the problem would be fixed by Saturday. He indicated that his son, Tristan, would be coming from Manila to reset DSN settings or something like that. Now, he was back to the technical fabrication again. That was on 23 May, as I write this on 30 May, the system is still down. Thank goodness for the COMCLARK Instanet cards and also DigitelOne that I am able to use. The bottom line is that Triasia has not been truthful in their explanations and even their employee Rodel is embarrassed to pass on the bogus explanation but he is being forced to do so by management. Needless to say, for sure, this is the last straw for me. At the very least, this company could have been more honest in their explanations to subscribers as many would be upset over the loss of service but could understand financial problems. The idea that subscribers are too stupid to figure out the real reason for this shutdown is insulting and unforgivable. By the way, my new email address is: harrythehorse@harrythehorse.com.

Many of the expats in town were shocked to read the headline in the 20 May issue of the Sun Star Pampanga newspaper that announced "New hospital closed for lack of permits". The hospital affected was the new PIH, owned and managed by the Health Visions International, Inc. City officials ordered that the hospital cease operations because of a lack of government permits. It appears that there were four items that concerned the mayor enough to withhold the mayor's permit to operate, i.e., traffic control, hazardous waste removal, septic tank and soil sample. Management had thought that each of these problems had been addressed and proper permits obtained by the construction engineer hired by PIH. PIH management informed me that each of the Mayor's concerns are being addressed, in fact, anyone driving by the front of the hospital can see the newly constructed curb widening that allows jeepneys room to stop without obstructing traffic; PIH donated the cement for this project. A soil sample report had been submitted, signed by a licensed geological engineer and submitted to the proper government office but the Mayor questioned why the City engineers were not present during the preparation of this report. No one knew it was necessary. An Environmental Certificate of Compliance (ECC) had been accomplished and a temporary permit to operate from the Environmental Monitoring Bureau had been issued and another inspection would be conducted in October in order to obtain a permanent certification. The septic tank problem and hazardous waste disposal will be addressed. Managements concern with the dumping of private residential garbage into the creek behind the hospital led to PIH donating two dump trucks to the Malabanias Barangay captain to facilitate regular pickups of residential garbage in that area

During my visit I encountered City Councilor Sonny Loa, minority floor leader, who was making an unofficial ocular visit to PIH to see for himself what all the controversy was about. He indicated that the City Council would be discussing the issues concerning the PIH at their next meeting and that the subject was rather controversial. He seemed impressed with what he saw during his walk through and felt that he had a better feel for the problem and would be prepared to discuss the matter at the next meeting. It would be nice if all the Councilors would show the same initiative, especially those seven making up the opposition block. There is a big misconception in the local community that the PIH is for retired Americans only. This is NOT true! The hospital is open to everyone and the only additional benefit enjoyed by the American retired community is that they are covered by a comprehensive program. One of the objectives of PIH management is to offer, in the future, their own comprehensive insurance program and also to implement administrative procedures that will allow them to accept any kind of official medical insurance held by potential patients. (NOTE: I recently learned that Kokomos is offering health insurance to their employees that can be extended to expats living here - please contact Mo, at kokomos, for details). Naturally, this will take time as it must be acknowledged by the various companies that they will pay for the care given. The PIH does not have a charity ward but no patient requiring emergency care will be turned away. Pictured leaving PIH after a successful operation is Mrs. Larkins who indicated that her treatment was professional and that the entire staff was fantastic. Those that were lucky to receive treatment prior to the closure order could not withhold their praise for this facility that they considered the best in town, equal in quality to St. Lukes

Be advised that the PIH has six ambulances on premises and there is a helicopter pad on the roof. This hospital is ready to serve the community and the community is anxiously waiting for the Mayor and PIH to work together in an effort to overcome these latest difficulties so that this first rate facility can once again accept patients for treatment

As in most financial dealings and interaction with Government agencies one must have a feel for what is not being said in public or in print. In talking with various individuals I will only say that the PIH management thought that all procedures had been followed and that the person responsible for obtaining the necessary clearances and permits had dealt with the right people. Obviously this was not the case and that "responsible" individual is no longer employed but there is a tinge of politics thrown into this equation as well. Enough said, I will be glad when this cloud of controversy has passed and that all concerned government officials are satisfied and PIH can finally fulfill their charter. Believe me, the people of Malabanias and other nearby barangays will be happy as well, and remember, unlike the expats living here, these people CAN VOTE.

One last note folks, "Mouse" wanted me to pass on that the patient affairs office is still accepting donated books for their library.

Folks, this will not be a regular feature but when a picture opportunity comes up, I can't resist. In this case the foot depicting a rather painful burn belongs to Barry Stafford, Manager of the Silver Bullet, formerly with Villa Modesto. Barry is known to have a few drinks once in a while and one evening, after a healthy consumption of spirits he went home to eat dinner. His wife has a nice steaming hot pot of beef stew on the stove so Barry happily filled up a big bowl of this delicious concoction and started to walk out of the kitchen that. His hard working wife has just waxed the kitchen floor that afternoon and since alcohol tends to make one a bit wobbly Barry slipped and while falling on his ass managed to spill the very hot stew on his leg. No problem, Barry, still under the influence, got up, ran cold water on his leg, headed for the table, sat down to eat his stew and then managed to burn the hell out of the roof of his mouth. His wife is still laughing and so am I!

Last month this horse had the pleasure of accompanying the staff, volunteers and children of the Bahay Bata Center for Angeles City street children to the RAMA Beach Resort in Botolan, Zambales. This was a first time experience for me as I do not go camping but this sounded good as the kids pitched tents and old farts like me could sleep in an air-conditioned tent. It was a great two days and the children had a great, fun filled time pitching their tents, swimming in the ocean, enjoying the swimming pool and experiencing the great food organized by Mark Smith. Most impressive was the RAMA Beach Resort itself built and operated by Roger and Marichu Bound. Roger, from Sydney, Australia was the original owner of the Palmera Gardens Resort until he bought the property, in 1996 where the RAMA has been built. At this time I am not going to go into detail about this resort because I will be saving that for my August issue at which time I will include quite a few pictures and information about the lots (1240 sq. mtrs. each) that will be available for sale. For now I want you to know that both Priscilla and I were very impressed with this Resort, enough so that we are returning for a trip with the family on 31 May. For reservations you can call 0918 910 1280 or Fax 047 811 1042. Check out their web page, www.ramabeach.com or send an Email to ramabeach@eudoramail.com. If you have time check out www.angelesstreetkids.org as well to read up on the very worthy project undertaken by the Clark Centennial Rotary Clark just over three years ago. As with any charitable project support in the form of money, goods, or volunteers is needed to sustain what has been started. We are grateful to the many visitors to Angeles City that have provided that assistance and continue to do so. Without you folks, we could never reach our objective of providing education and livelihood to the street kids that we are able to remove from the sordid environment many of them exist in.

When I visited the "Bunny Ranch" there were only three customers present which surprised me as the Club is laid out nicely and the latest renovation gave it a nice upscale look. But, many of the bars I visited were experiencing the same situation, - no customers! I had a hell of a time getting pictures as the ladies, especially the bunny waitresses all seemed to have an attitude problem and were not interested in promoting the establishment they worked in. Finally, after a lot of talking two bunnies sort of volunteered for a photo, Rerisanta and Florie, enough said about them. It was much more enjoyable to get the manager's choice as she had a nice personality, 18 years old, no children and had only worked 3 months. Her name is Deline, from Zanboanga City and I think you would enjoy visiting with this young lady so stop by the Bunny Ranch to say hello, believe me, they could use the business.

Caught deep in his thinking mode while sitting in Kokomos this young (?) man, when waking up, was ready to conquer the world, but first, one more beer, and a bit more rest was first on the agenda.

Yep, the family has saddled me up for the trip to the RAMA Beach Resort with the intention of emptying my wallet but not to worry, Roger will look after me and it will be a nice way to end the dry season and the last week the kids are out of school. It has been an interesting month and a difficult one for many because of the lack of tourists in town. Not to worry, optimism is part of the game and we are sure that business will pick up. We have not had any SARS cases here, crime is down, and I hate to keep repeating myself every month, but IT IS SAFE HERE! If it was not, I would say so as often I have been criticized by various bar owners for being too honest in that respect. I need business as well, but won't lie to get it. It is hot as hell right now, but the rains will start soon and that will provide a bit of relief. It is a good time to visit, believe me, there will be many, many ladies very happy to see you. Forget those so called "Gentlemen's Clubs" in the States and elsewhere, what you spend in one night at one of those ----teasing clubs could last a week here with satisfaction guaranteed. Most of you know that anyway, so get your butts over here and have a good time.