Even before officially taking office, Pampanga First District Representative-Elect Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. is already making his presence felt on the ground.

On June 9, less than a month before his congressional term begins, Lazatin joined the nationwide Brigada Eskwela 2025 in Mabalacat City and Magalang Town, continuing a personal tradition of supporting public schools through donations and volunteer work.

This year, 58 public schools in Mabalacat and 58 more in Magalang each received 580 sacks of cement, 116 liters of paint, and 232 paint brushes — all personally donated by Lazatin from his own funds.

A staunch advocate for education, Lazatin has consistently supported Brigada Eskwela initiatives since his early days as a city councilor in Angeles City in 2013. Just last year, he also participated in the 2024 Brigada Eskwela in the same towns, and in September, personally distributed school kits and rice aid to day care students and their families.

As Angeles City Mayor, Lazatin championed major educational investments, including the repair of daycare centers worth ₱5 million, the construction of new classrooms and facilities at the City College of Angeles (CCA) totaling ₱259 million, and a ₱50-million CCA Annex Building funded by PAGCOR.

His administration also rolled out a massive digital learning program, distributing 58,000 tablets to public school students (Grades 4 to 12), 3,200 tablets to teachers, and another 3,200 units to CCA students.

Now on the cusp of his new role as district representative, Lazatin is set to carry his education-centered agenda to the national stage. Among his priorities: increasing funding for classroom maintenance and raising public school teachers’ salaries by an additional ₱20,000 across the board.

Lazatin’s congressional bid culminated in a historic win on May 13, 2025, when he was proclaimed Representative-Elect with 262,517 votes — the first to reach such a number in the district. He secured 88,707 votes in Mabalacat, 51,379 in Magalang, and 122,431 in Angeles City, breaking his own vote record from the 2022 mayoral race.

Running unopposed, Lazatin credited the win to the unwavering support of his constituents:
“Ginulis tamu pu keng kasaysayan uli na pu ning kekayung alang patugut a suporta. Dacal a dacal pung salamat. Puryan taya pu ing Guinu,” he said.

From classroom walls to congressional halls, Cong Pogi seems more than ready to build on his legacy.