ANGELES CITY, PAMPANGA – Opposition Councilor and Angeles City Mayoralty Aspirant Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has vowed to increase funds for the Local Urban Poor Affairs and Housing Office (LUPAHO) to fulfill his late father’s dream for all Angelenos to have their own homes.
Speaking in front of the villagers in Barangay Capaya, Lazatin said his father’s lifelong dream was now his mission.
“Pangarap po noon ng aking ama na maitaas ang antas ng pamumuhay ng lahat ng Angeleno, umpisa po sa pag-sigurado na lahat sila ay nakatira sa disenteng tahanan na matatawag nilang sariling kanila,” said Lazatin, “Ito na po ang maituturing na misyon ng inyong lingkod ngayon.”
According to Lazatin, the increase in funds would help the LUPAHO in carrying out their mandate to facilitate the provision of homes to citizens, especially among the urban poor.
Lazatin’s father, former three-term Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin, is the ‘father’ of LUPAHO, having created the office during his term as city mayor back in 1998 to address the housing problems in Angeles City.
At the end of Tarzan Lazatin’s term in 2007, some 15,000 homeless families in Angeles City have been provided with homes.
According to the non-government organization, Habitat for Humanity, homeownership is a crucial foundation for helping low-income families find a path of poverty, and living in decent affordable homes have been shown to improve the health, educational attainment, safety, and personal wealth of families.