Barrio History

If you've got pictures of the Barrio or Subic City in it's heyday scan them and send them to Mango's along with a short story for each picture. Scroll down to see what we've collected so far.

Early '82, when the road was still dirt & the sewer ditch was open all the way down the hiway. Philory's was run by a Filipino. Great guy - who was opposed to Gordon's tactics. Needless to say he didn't survive. Great bar - many ladies. It was across from J&B and Casa Del Mar. I think the building next door was where Tom and Jim opened Whiskey River. That's me & the legend of Zambales - Porter Turpin, after we jogged from the main gate to the Barrio. We saved 2 pesos each - two more and it was enough for a beer at the Sari-Sari store.

Whiskey River - One of our favorite bars. We spent many hours on the porch listening to the greatest juke box in the world. Brubeck's "Take Five" was even on it, and we always played it first. We would walk across the street and buy Lichon Manok (44 pesos a chicken; about $3) from the guy who cooked them in his front yard, and sit on the porch and wonder what the poor people were doing. In the picture with us is the famous Barrio photographer; Arthur; Jackie and our good friend Chris Brown.

Amy's Bar	The Casablanca	3D's
Amy ran a bar in Olongapo during the Vietnam war era. She lived in the big house on the beach in the Barrio that you see here. After the bar district "opened" in Calapandayan Amy got the idea to open a place between Olongapo and Subic. She converted the downstairs of her house into a bar. The Barrio Barretto bar district was born and the rest, as they say, is history.	I always stayed in room 12, the corner room where the shoeshine guy and the girl are sitting in front of. It was room 12 when the place was called the Anchor Inn (the original name, I believe). The Casablanca was on the beach side, across the National Highway from Philorys, Gemmas Sari Sari store and Big Mike's Super Bar.	You can see in this picture how the National Highway slopes down toward this intersection. 3D's was always flooded during rainy season. I can remember standing knee deep in water shooting pool in 3D's while the girls were unsuccessfully trying to bail the place out.

Beverly's Bar	J&B's and My Little Room Lounge No1.	Ed Hooper's Rip N Root
Also shown are the Yankee Pub House and (at the time this photo was taken) the brand new Whiskey River. Beverly's Bar became the Purple Stallion shortly after this pic was taken. Later, the Yankee Pub House became the Happy Carabou.	My Little Room Lounge No.2 was on the street the Marmont was on (Marmont Street?), later called the Wagon Wheel, I think.	Where cheap beer and a TV were the ONLY attraction. Most of Ed's customers were regulars. The old fart crowd that started their day at Uncle Bobs (including Ed Hooper), usually wound up at the Rip N Root.

The Samori	Anita and James Bar	Anita and James Bar
(Filipino spelling of Samurai?) massage parlor and hotel. A great place to get an "air start" before crawling the Barrio bars.	Four of the girls from Anita and James bar. That's Marilou on the left (blue Adidas shirt) and Gemma on the right (white t-shirt). I don't remember the names of the girls in the middle. I do remember the pool table. One corner pocket had a lot more gravity than the others.	Loni (blowing the kiss) and Gemma out in front of Anita and James.


Paradise Beach (in Barrio Matain, next to the White Rock Hotel) circa 1983. I don't remember the girl's name, but I think she was from My Little Lounge in the Barrio Barretto.	The girls from Anita and James Bar (the tall woman in back wearing the Japanese anime T-shirt is Anita); at a party on Sierra Beach (near the Half Moon Hotel) in 1984. The guitar is one I brought back with me from Cebu.	The girl's name is Margie Reyes. That is the screened in back porch area of the Flame. Probably taken 1983.


	Vickie Moreno from Al's Place (when it was next to the Buzzard) taken about 1985 at Paradise Beach.


Taken the morning after fire gutted the place (Dec '88). Directly across the street from Abra Cadabra. The 1st Allenn's (Al's Place) was next to the Midnight Rambler (the last two dollar bar). After the fire Glen (Allenn was his Filipino partner) relocated next to Rock Lobster. They also owned D' Office behind the corner cork room.	The Beerman Bar was across from the Irish Rose and Far Side. Never really did too well. The guy talking to Tina was the owner (Fred). He was from Charleston like me. Maybe that's why it never did well. Glen was from Charleston, too. small world.


This was taken from in front of J&B looking back towards the base. Rock Lobster further down on left. Notice the "world famous" Land Cruiser. Kathy (my adopted daughter) and Tina doing the mojo stroll.	Taken from the roof of the Miami Bar looking toward Castillejos. Sweet Sixteen Bar (ah the memories) on the left at the end.


Abra-Kadabra 1992 Photo by Rocky Boggs	Marmont Hotel	View of Barrio Photo by Dave from Guam