Sleepover in By the Sea Resort Hotel (Barretto, Olongapo)

Barrio Barretto in the city of Olongapo was known as the “sex tourism capital” in the Subic Bay area. “Sixty clubs once saddled the highway” through the barrio according to Ralph Jennings of Forbes. That number dwindled when the extension of the presence of the American military base in Subic was disapproved by Philippine Senate in 1991. Twenty-six years after the last group of American soldiers left Subic, the bad reputation of Barrio Barretto remained. Majority of Google search result of “Barretto Subic” are about scantily clad women and lady bars.

In the midst of that search results are images of the beach of Barrio Barretto. This is what I experienced when I had an overnight stay in the By The Sea Resort Hotel.

I reached By the Sea Resort Hotel after traveling for around 4 hours from Manila. I was tired and sleepy but my exhaustion was eased somehow when I got a good view of the sea.

The beach pales in comparison to other Philippine beaches that I visited. There's thrash in the beach area very few people dip in the sea. My co-workers and I didn't swim. We just contented ourselves with the view of Subic Bay.

Our office conducted a workshop at the hotel. We were us to a function hall that have seen better days. It is not a big issue, however, because the place is good enough for us. Even the hotel staff are very helpful to our group.

The big issue is the terrible Internet connection. The hotel has WiFi connection but the internet was very slow! Internet connectivity is my primary factor in selecting hotels. By the Sea Resort Hotel failed in this regard.

We were assigned to a room at the far corner of the hotel compound. This is a WiFi black spot because the hotel’s WiFi signal doesn’t reach our room.

Our room is OK and clean enough for me.

The bathroom, however, is infested with cockroaches. I killed three of those bastards during my stay in By the Sea Resort Hotel.

There was a beach wedding on the day of our workshop. The set-up was nice and the couple had a beautiful ceremony with the sunset as a background. I guess By the Sea Resort Hotel is a good place for beach wedding because it have a big grounds for events.

After a grueling day at the workshop, our group had a yummy dinner then some socials. Some relaxed at the swimming pool. Me, meanwhile, “played” beach volley with friends. The staff of By the Sea Resort Hotel helped us in everything. They served drinks and set up the videoke. It is was a fun night.

By the Sea Resort Hotel is not top notch when it comes to rooms and facilities. However, the top notch service of  their staff made the difference.

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Read more about my adventure 'round Subic Bay:

The Old Spanish Fort in Olongapo and the Naval Legacy of Subic Bay

Yummy Eats at Meat Plus Cafe (Subic Bay)

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Yummy Eats at Meat Plus Cafe (Subic Bay)

“I can't leave Subic without eating at Meat Plus!” - declares a big sign above Meat Plus Cafe in Olongapo City.

Well, I came to Subic plenty of times and I was able to leave the place without going to Meat Plus. There is one time, however, when I did not leave Subic without eating at Meat Plus.

It was evening when we went to Meat Plus Cafe but the place is still abuzz with people. The line is somewhat long.

Good thing that there are interesting things inside this restaurant that kept me from being bored. Interesting things like this display:

It’s all American. Well, I guess it is not surprising because this is an American restaurant.

The line is not the only one that was long that night in Meat Plus. The waiting time is also long.

I ordered a burger and some fries (with pipino on the side). It is expensive by my standards but it is much bigger and more yummy than Jollibee’s Yum Burger. I believe that I am not “lugi” in ordering this burger.

All in all, I had good dining experience in Meat Plus. Now can I leave Subic without eating at Meat Plus? The answer is “YES”.

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Read about my other adventures in Subic Bay:

The Old Spanish Fort in Olongapo and the Naval Legacy of Subic Bay
Sleepover in By the Sea Resort Hotel (Barretto, Olongapo)

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The Old Spanish Fort in Olongapo and the Naval Legacy of Subic Bay

Subic Bay will always be in my mind as the last stronghold of Uncle Sam in the Philippines. It was known as the best naval base of the USA in the Southeast Asian Region. Its deep and fairly protected harbor can handle battleships, submarines, and even large aircraft carriers.

I always thought that the naval history of Subic Bay started during the American Colonial Period until I saw this relic from the past during one of my visit to Olongapo City:

An old plaque, probably placed by the Americans, tells the history of this old Spanish fort.

The old plaque reads:

Old West Gate 

This gate was the entrance to the original Spanish Naval Station established in Subic Bayin 1885. The principal Spanish construction lay to the east along what is now Rivera Point and consisted of an arsenal, several warehouses, and a number of shop buildings. 

The base at Subic-Olongapo was used by the Spanish Navy to provide repair supply, ammunition and medical support for ships. The post was commanded by the Second Commandancia of the base at Cavite and was considered a subsidiary of that command. 

The Spanish garrison remained in possesion of the Subic-Olongapo Base until June of 1898 at which time they were driven out by Filipino forces. The area was formally occupied by the U.S. Navy in September of 1899.

The plaque stated that the story of the Spanish fort began in 1885. However, the naval history of Subic Bay actually started much earlier.

In 1542, Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo discovered Subic Bay but he did not see the value of the bay for the small Spanish colonial navy. It is the Augustinians who took notice of Subic Bay and in 1607 Father Rodrigo de San Miguel established the town of Subic, which included the area which is now called as Olongapo City.

The Spanish Colonial Government was contented with its naval base in Cavite until tragedy struck in 1762 when the British captured the Cavite naval base and occupied Intramuros as part of the Seven Years War. The Spaniards discovered the value of Subic Bay and established a naval base there while fighting the Brits.

King Alfonso XII of  Spain formally established the Subic Bay Naval Base in 1884. The construction of Arsenal de Olongapo began in 1885. It was placed under the the deputy commander (segunda commandancia) of the Cavite Naval Base. As the old plaque says, the Spanish naval base in Subic Bay consisted of an arsenal, warehouses, and shop buildings. The Subic Naval Base was grand based on this 1885 painting:

(Source: morefun.ph)

The Subic Naval Base was captured by Filipinos during the revolution in 1898 but the Americans drove them out in 1899 during the brutal Filipino-American War.

The West Gate (also known to many as the Spanish Gate) is accessible so I was able to pass through it. Unfortunately, the remains of the gate is all there is to see. 

The bamboo wall at the back of the old West Gate.

In an old photo, the West Gate has a bell placed on its walls.

The West Gate of the old Spanish Naval Base in Subic Bay taken in 1910 (source: Taga Gapo Ka Ba?)

Another old photo shows the bell transferred from the wall to the arched gate.

(Source: Pilipinas Retrostalgia)

The bell is now gone and what remained are the gate and the bare walls.

It is good to see that this Spanish fort is well preserved. I believe, however, that it is “luckier” than the other Spanish forts found in the provinces. Many of these old forts are in the advanced state of decay and destruction.

I am delighted to accidentally discovered this relic of the past. It is good to know that Subic Bay has great historic legacy other than being an R and R place for American GIs.

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Read about my other latest adventures in Subic Bay

Yummy Eats at Meat Plus Cafe (Subic Bay)
Sleepover in By the Sea Resort Hotel (Barretto, Olongapo)

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The history of the old West Gate of the Spanish Naval Base in Subic Bay came from the following sources:

MoreFun.ph
Municipality of Subic website
Subic Spanish Gate in Wikipedia
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