Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has initiated the restoration of 19 paintings of former City Mayors, which were just found accumulating dust at the storage of the City Hall’s General Services Office (GSO).
“These paintings are part of our city’s culture and history. It saddens me that they lay forgotten for a long period of time. I have much respect for these public servants who contributed a great deal in the stability and development of Angeles City,” Lazatin said.
“It is vital that we restore and preserve them, so that the future generation may appreciate them, because every picture tells an important story about our city,” he added.
Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel, who is supervising the project, on April 22, 2021 met with Romeo Monte, a former member of the now defunct Angeles City Painters Association, to discuss the planned restoration of the said paintings.
Part of the project is also the restoration process of the portrait frames, Manuel said.
According to Monte, the paintings were commissioned during the stint of former Mayor Jose Abad Santos, and were displayed at the City Hall.
“I am very much willing to extend a helping hand for the success of this project. Five of these portraits were painted by my fellow artist, C.G. Tayag,” he shared.
The Angeles City Tourism Office (ACTO) headed by Anneleen Antonio-Sugui will also coordinate with Tayag for the restoration process of his paintings.
According to Antonio-Sugui, the city government will deliver the said paintings to the home of Monte, in order to ensure their safe transport.
Meanwhile, Monte reminisced that it was during the time of the late former Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin, that the paintings were still displayed at the Information Center in the City Hall Lobby.
To continue this, Manuel said the younger Lazatin wants the 19 portraits to be restored to their former glory, since most of the paintings are already damaged – with faded colors and molds.
“To remember a person is to make them live again. As a way of showing our gratitude to these former leaders, let us honor their contributions, by putting our talents to good use,” Manuel added.
“Ngayon pa lang po, nagpapasalamat na po kami [sa inyo] para sa ikakatagumpay ng proyektong ito,” she furthered.