Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has expressed his gratitude to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pampanga for supporting two of his legislative measures aimed at protecting the Sapangbato Watershed.
During its regular session on August 6, 2025, presided over by Vice Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda, the Provincial Board passed S.P. Resolution No. 9432, endorsing Lazatin’s House Bill No. 2423 or ‘An Act Declaring Sapangbato as a Protected Area in the Province of Pampanga, and S.P. Resolution No. 9433, supporting House Resolution No. 77, which seeks to rename the reforested portion of Barangay Sapangbato intended as a watershed to the Renato “Abong” Tayag Watershed.
“Magpasalamat ku pu kang Vice Governor Delta Pineda ampo kareng miyembru ning Sangguniang Panlalawigan ning Pampanga king karelang suporta para king kanakung proposed bill ampong resolution,” Lazatin said in a statement issued October 1, 2025.
Earlier, on July 31, 2025, Lazatin formally sought the endorsement of the Provincial Government of Pampanga and the local governments of Angeles, Mabalacat, and Magalang through letters addressed to Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II, Mabalacat City Mayor Gerald “Geld” Aquino, and Magalang Mayor Maria Lourdes “Malu” Lacson.
Lazatin emphasized the ecological importance of the Sapangbato Watershed, calling it “a vital catchment area that supplies water, not only to Angeles City but also to stream systems across Pampanga.”
House Bill 2423 seeks to establish Sapangbato as a protected area to safeguard its biodiversity, while House Resolution 77 proposes to honor the late Renato “Abong” Tayag, Jr., founder of the Angeles Watershed Advocacy Council, Inc. (ARAW-ACI), by naming the watershed after him.
During his term as Angeles City Mayor, Lazatin partnered with ARAW-ACI to implement a massive reforestation program at the Sapangbato Watershed. Launched in June 2020, the project initially targeted the planting of 45,000 endemic trees. By the time Lazatin stepped down in 2025, a total of 145,041 seedlings had been planted in the area.
