ANGELES CITY — “Lagi ko ngang sinasabi sa inyo, I am here to lead the city, pero kayong mga empleyado ang leg workers. Kayo talaga ang tunay na asset ng Angeles City Government.”
Thus said Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. in his Christmas message delivered during the employees’ thanksgiving party.
“This is my fourth Christmas with [you] my Angeles City hall family. I am thankful for your support to our leadership,” Mayor Lazatin said.
Lazatin further reiterated to continue putting premium on the employees, especially on their health, welfare, and other benefits. With this, Lazatin shared the first-ever Annual Physical Examination implemented during his leadership.
“This year we saw a lot of innovations in Angeles City, especially in capability enhancement and morale and welfare of our employees,” Lazatin said. “Isa na po dyan ang ating unang Annual Physical Examinations, pag bibigay ng Vitamins, at mga karagdagang benepisyo sa ating empleyado.”
Lazatin also thanked the employees, wishing that the hard work, effort, and service of the employees would continue.
“Sana sa mga darating pang panahon na pagsasamahan natin, lalo ninyong pagbutihan ang ating mga trabaho at tungkulin,” Lazatin added. “Sabi nga nila, pag minahal mo ang isang bahay, mamahalin ka din nito pabalik. Muli, maraming salamat!”
The 4,330 employees — 13 elected officials in the city; 1,217 permanent, casual, and contractual personnel; and 3,100 COS employees — on Dec. 1, 2022, received food and ham packages and 10 kilos of rice.
Cariel Ocampo, Office Worker V of Gender and Development Office, said: “Maragul yang bage kareng empleyado, yamung atandanan kung memyeng makanyan keng administrasyun. Kaya saludu ku kang Mayor Pogi. Luid ko pu.”
A street sweeper from the Environment Management System named Jocelyn Arañez thanked Lazatin not just for the distribution of food and ham packages and one sack of 10 kg rice, but on his initiative for a salary raise. Arañez also said the leadership of Mayor Lazatin is always looking out for their welfare, nothing that he is the only Mayor who said he loves the street sweepers.
“Maganda at nagpapasalamat kami kay Mayor malaking tulong para sa amin, lalo na tinaasan kami ng sahod. Mula siya nakaupo di kami pinabayaan mga sweepers. Siya nagsabi sa amin na mahal niya kaming sweepers,” Arañez said.
John Humphrey Dayrit of the Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office also underscored that these undertakings of Mayor Lazatin did not stop even in the face of the pandemic.
“Nakatanggap na po kami during pandemic at di kami nakakalimutan ni Mayor hanggang ngayon meron. Sa lahat po ng mga dating administrasyon, ngayon lang po kami nakatanggap ng ham, bigas, at mga food baskets tuwing magp-Pasko,” Dayrit said.
“On behalf po ng ACDRRMO Operations nagpapasalamat po kami kay Mayor. At sa boss po namin na si Sir Rudy Simeon na di kami pinapabayaan at na-recognize yung opisina namin,” Dayrit added.
A staff from City Nutrition Office, Erin Mendiola, said this is an early Christmas blessing not just for the employees, but for their families.
“Lubus a kasiyahan na maranun ing pamasku mi. Dakal kaming maswelo kareng atanggap ming regalu,” Mendiola said. “Pasalamat ku ketang mibyeng ham, basket, abias na maranun ng pamaskung Mayor, Boss IC at Mahal na Reina.”
