Ruins

At Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City, Pampanga lies the demolished ruins left by Mt. Pinatubo. Looking out beyond Clark Air Base's walls, one can actually get a glimpse of the monstrous Mt. Pinatubo hiding behind the surrounding mountains. Wild trees, grass, and vines engulfed the ghost town that was once the residential housing area for military personnel on Clark Air Base.

Clark Air Base, now known as the Clark Special Economic Zone, was the largest overseas American military installation (Subic Naval Base was the largest base after Clark closed). The base was converted into a special economic zone after the American military left the Philippines in 1992.

Carabaos ran untamed across the remains of the lifeless neighborhoods of the housing area. A young carabao emerged out from the bushes and paused at the front of the vehicle. It then began to wave its head and body eerily as if it were a sick dog. After a few moments of the same strange movements, the young animal bolted back into the wilderness.

Michael was our driver as we roamed through the old parts of the base. He was quite talkative, managing to tell us what he knew about the base’s history and drilling me with a stack of questions about myself. He mentioned that the grass and talahib on base catches on fire during the tag-araw or summer season, so they gradually set the grasses on fire throughout the year in a controlled manner to prevent wildfires.

Despite the close proximity to Mt. Pinatubo, the base’s structures held up well. For the most part, only the roofs collapsed. And for some homes, which Michael told me belonged to the US officers, the roofs were still intact.

Walking through the homes, I asked Michael about the many holes in the ground. He said the people that dug the holes were looking for wires and cables that can be sold. He went on to say that people also dig throughout the neighborhood in search of gold that was hidden in the area before the eruption. I noticed that there was a fire nearby, but I did not see the person designated to control it.

Along the road, we saw a few Aetas walking by. Michael waved and said hello, but the Aetas looked like they were not in the mood. One of them was carrying a rifle, which you can see in the photo. Though many events still occur at Clark, the American government left some residual toxic chemicals that now affect the groundwater near the base. Native Filipinos who live nearby are affected by these chemicals, such as mercury, resulting in leukemia, gangrene, and other severe diseases and health problems. Perhaps that's why the Aetas seemed upset. But the United States denies responsibility for these actions.

On the way back to the main gate we passed by an old hospital that was abandoned because of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. I told Michael to stop so we could take a look. As we approached the deserted hospital, I noticed Michael was quiet for the first time. Pillars lined the first floor. As I peered into the deep black openings in the floor, Michael said that people have fallen into the holes in the past and the local emergency rescue team was called to get them out.

We walked down the stairs and into the depths of the basement. Michael whispered that the hospital also has a built-in bomb shelter. It was very dark and completely silent except for our whispers as to where the pathway was. We felt our way through the darkness and finally found the light at the end of the tunnel. As I took some shots, I noticed something on the LCD screen of my camera. It looked as if someone was sitting next to the wall (9th photo from the last). Michael saw this too and tugged on me to head out. So we did, stumbling up the stairs and through the darkness.

As we drove off, I scrolled through the recently taken pictures. Upon inspection, it seemed that what looked like a man sitting next to the wall was probably just a stack of objects. As I was busy looking through the photos, Michael talked away once again. He even mentioned to me that many visitors in the past have fallen victim to hold-ups. He added that a couple of marines were recently robbed by their “guide” and were dropped off in the desolate parts of the base. I now was thinking whether Michael was weighing the idea of robbing me, so I reached into my pocket and held on to my knife. But from there, Michael changed the conversation (or monologue) and began to talk again about the buildings we passed by. He even managed to crack a few jokes, and overall seemed to be a nice guy. He dropped us off back at the main gate, and we headed back to Zambales.

Clark Special Economic Zone, Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Pampanga Pictures / Photos: