CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. will officially file his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for Pampanga First District Representative on the first day of filing on October 1, 2024 at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), this city, for the 2025 National and Local Elections.
Pogi Lazatin will be joined by out-going Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II, who will be running for Angeles City Mayor; the entire Councilor slate of Team Lazatin; and Pogi Lazatin’s long-time Chief Adviser IC Calaguas and Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel.
Pogi Lazatin will also be joined by the entire slate of Team Lazatin, composed of Vice Mayor Ma. Vicenta Vega-Cabigting, incumbent Angeles City Councilors Arvin Suller, JC Parker-Aguas, Marino Bañola, Alexander Indiongco, Raco Del Rosario, Edgardo Pamintuan Jr., Michelle Bonifacio, and Crisanto Cortez; and Councilor-aspirants Ron Pineda and Alfred Sangil.
Pogi Lazatin will be running under the banner of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), which recently inked a national coalition with the Lakas – Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). They will also be adopted by the local Kambilan Party of Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda.
It can be recalled that Pogi Lazatin officially announced his candidacy on June 28, 2024 in front of some 1,800 guests at the Magalang Plaza, Magalang Municipality, where he unveiled his legislative agenda, highlighting seven main areas: Health; Economy and Livelihood; Vulnerable and Marginalized Sectors (Children, Youth, Women, Senior Citizens, Persons with Disability (PWDs), Solo Parents, and LGBTQ); Environment; Education; Transportation; and Barangays.
According to Lazatin, the main tenet of his legislative agenda is that “no one will be left behind.”
“Isa lang po ang sineseguro natin. Sa ating panunungkulan, wala pong maiiwan. No one will be left behind,” Lazatin said, “Ito po ang aking bibitawang pangako — ang lahat ng sektor ng ating lipunan ay mararamdaman ang ating sinserong paninilbihan.”
Also part of Lazatin’s agenda is the filing of a measure to make the fiscal incentives under the Comprehensive Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or CREATE Law more competitive, in order to encourage more local and foreign investments, especially in Clark Freeport Zone.
Lazatin also intends to file a measure that will expand the coverage of the Primary Care Package, under the Universal Health Care Act, to include check-ups and laboratory tests in its coverage, which is expected to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses of patients.
During his declaration of candidacy, Lazatin vowed to exhibit the same fervor and commitment he has shown as Mayor of Angeles City.
“Ako po ay magbabahay-bahay dahil gusto ko pong malaman ang bawat pulso, bawat kailangan, at bawat hinaing ng aking mga kababayan sa Unang Distrito ng Pampanga,” Lazatin said, “Ginawa ko po yan ng anim na taon sa Siyudad ng Angeles at ako po ay excited na excited na palawakin po ito at abutin kayo sa bayan ng Mabalacat at Magalang.”
On July 23 and July 24, Pogi Lazatin participated in the Brigada Eskwela 2024 where 60 schools in Mabalacat City and 27 schools in Magalang Town received 40 liters of paint and 10 sacks of cement each, personally donated by Pogi Lazatin out of his own pocket.
Some 3,063 day care students also received school supplies from Pogi Lazatin as he led the five-day distribution of his personal donation of school supplies in 61 Day Care Centers in Mabalacat City, which began on September 11, 2024.
Lazatin, who is currently serving his second term as Angeles City Mayor, is known for frequently going on ‘house-to-house’ visits in all barangays of Angeles City to personally deliver social services, including free inoculations and vitamins for children, and free medicines and social pension for senior citizens.
Lazatin began his public service career in 2013, when he was first elected as Angeles City Councilor. He went on to serve two terms as City Councilor from 2013 to 2019.
Lazatin was eventually elected as Angeles City Mayor in 2019.
In 2022, Lazatin ran for a second term and won in an unprecedented landslide, having amassed 112,947 votes and winning over his opponent in all 33 barangays of Angeles City – the first mayor of Angeles City to do so.
