Four decades after Mayor Rafael “Apung Feleng” built the original structure, third-generation Mayor Carmelo ‘Pogi’ Lazatin, Jr. opened today, March 19, the newly-renovated, first class Angeles City Library and Information Center.

Mayor Pogi led the ribbon-cutting rites for the P8-Million renovated library, with Vice Mayor Vicenta Vega-Cabigting, Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel, General Services Officer Evangeline Malonzo, City Librarian Erma Manalo, City Engineer’s Officer-in-Charge Helen Ayro, the heirs of Renato Tayag, Carmen McTavish and CJ Tayag, and librarians from Holy Angel University – Daisy Icban (College Department) and Marivic Pantig (High School Department).

The Angeles City Library was constructed during the mayorship of Mayor Pogi’s grandfather, Apung Feleng, on the lot donated by the family of Renato “Katoks” Tayag.

“It has been an honor to continue my family’s legacy by overseeing the transformation of our library into a first-class facility, building on the foundation laid by my grandfather and my father’s vision, who first established and started the city library. It was during three generations of Lazatin that the city library was established and renovated,” Lazatin said.

The city library underwent a full-face makeover — from its state-of-the-art technology that offers a wide range of resources to its amenities of spacious reading areas, comfortable seating, computer working stations, and improved facilities.

“This initiative to renovate our library and transform it into a first-class facility is not just about modernization but also about providing access to knowledge, resources, and opportunities for our community, and preserving these for generations to come,” Lazatin furthered.

The renovation of the public library was supervised by Lazatin’s Chief Adviser IC Calaguas and Manuel, with the assistance of Malonzo and Ayro.

The Angeles City Library and Information Center, which to date, has 7,000 books, is open Mondays to Sundays, 8AM to 7PM.

“Our library caters to a wide range of resources of all ages, even available for our out-of-school youth. Malaking tulong po ito para sa lahat, lalo na sa mga kabataan natin,” said Calaguas.

“We have our books, as well as the computer working stations which they can use,” she added.

According to Manuel, aside from the renovated facilities, artworks from local artists who recently joined the city’s ‘on-the-spot painting’are also featured at the city library.

“Through our library, we are also helping our local artists to exhibit their work,” Manuel shared.

A total of 14 local artists have displayed their artworks in the library, including Norman Tiotuico, Angelo Naguit, Aurelio De Guzman, Alvin Dungca, Joel Pabustan Mallari, Lloyd Dacayanan, Jeffrey Querido Gabatin, Raul “Pol” Del Mundo, Edu Perreras, Jascha Tolentino, Ailyn Gonzales, Ronald Buenacifra Jr., Rolly Suba and Edwin Catli.

“We are thanking Mayor Lazatin, ever since he assumed office, binigyan niya po ng pagpapahalaga ang ating library gaya po ni Apung Feleng at Apung Tarzan,” said City Librarian Erma Manalo.

“Napakahalaga po nito sa mga local government unit, dahil hindi po lahat ng cities at municipalities may library. Angeles City is very fortunate,” she added. “Since 2019 up to now, the allocated budget for the city library has been increasing.”

Manalo also said that one of the aims of Mayor Lazatin is to accommodate more library-goers, accepting people from all walks of life.

The inauguration of the city library coincides with the second anniversary of Kapebaluan, the city-run coffee shop created to promote and market “Kape Angeleño” — coffee beans locally-grown in Barangay Sapangbato.

Kapebaluan is located at the ground floor of the Angeles City Library building.