ILOILO CITY – Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. received the Gawad Parangal Award for Most Outstanding Local Chief Executive of the Philippines – Highly Urbanized City Category on May 15 at the Iloilo Convention Center, Megaworld Blvd., Mandurriao here from the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines, Inc. (ALSWDOPI).
The ALSWDOPI recognized the “strong political will” of the mayor and his unwavering dedication to improving social welfare and development of Angeles City residents.
“The innovative programs and services of your administration in uplifting the general well-being of the marginalized and vulnerable sectors of your locality are highly commendable which put your Gawad Parangal nomination for SWD Champions on top of the rank,” said ALSWDOPI national president Jhunleymar Abella.
The awarding coincides with the ALSWDOPI’s 27th National Social Welfare and Development Forum and General Assembly with the theme: “Unifying Forces: Local Government Units’ Catalyst for Collective Action, Social Movements, and Social Change.”
Joining Lazatin during the awarding ceremony were city social welfare and development officer Edna Duaso, quality management system representative Chrysalene Cunanan, city environment and natural resources officer Jenifer Castro, city planning and development officer Engr. Nilda Quito, city nutrition officer Francis De Guzman, and Mina Joson of CPDO.
Since taking over the mayoralty in 2019, Lazatin has put into motion a sustained social welfare and development programs that mostly benefitted the marginalized sectors of Angeles City. These programs were mostly felt during the Covid-19 pandemic where Lazatin pushed social welfare and development programs along with interventions against the pandemic.
Lazatin has provided and continues to extend P1,000 cash assistance to seniors, PWDs, and solo parents. Some 48,000 seniors had benefitted from this cash assistance.
No other government institution had pursued the rescue of mentally challenged individuals and their rehabilitation in hospitals before being reunited with their loved ones, including homeless street kids and the elderly.
Among others, the local chief executive had provided 191 wheelchairs, medical assistance, medicines, assistance in hospital bills, provided educational assistance, and school supplies to public students amounting to P100 million per year.
Mayor Lazatin’s “Walang Plastikan” program where a kilo of plastic waste is replaced with a kilo of rice had already benefitted thousands of residents and even non-residents. Some 2.9 million kilos of plastic had been replaced with 2.9 million kilos of rice.
“Malaking pasasalamat po ang pinapaabot ko sa ALSWDOPI sa karangalang binigay po nila sa akin, hindi lamang po ito para sa akin kundi para sa lahat ng mga Angeleños,” Lazatin said.
It can be recalled that the late Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin was also accorded the same Gawad Parangal Award in 2005 and 2006. Angeles CIO
