ANGELES CITY -- The family, relatives and friends of the late Congressman Carmelo "Tarzan" Lazatin, Sr. gathered on Thursday to commemorate the political icon's first death anniversary.

Lazatin, who also served as mayor of the city, is was known by the people for his generosity and style of service "ditak a salita, dakal a gawa" or “less talk, more work.”

Lazatin's son, Carmelo "Pogi" Lazatin, Jr., who is the incumbent mayor of the city, stated in a post on social media that he misses his father.

"Dad it's been a year. You taught me to be strong but sorry I can never be strong enough to not miss you every day," the mayor said.

Newsman Joey Pavia, editor of Business Week, described Tarzan as kind. "One year since you joined our Creator. Cong Tarzan Lazatin, we miss you. Thanks for everything, your kindness was overflowing."

IC Calaguas, Tarzan Lazatin's former chief of staff who is now the deputy director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for her part said "Cong Tarzan is a class of his own. Nobody can replace him. We miss him so much."

In 2011, then Representative Tarzan Lazatin sponsored in Congress the conversion of Mabalacat City from a first class town to a component city.

He was known to be the father of resettlement centers in the first district of Pampanga, being instrumental to the creation of evacuation sites in Madapdap, Mawaque in Mabalacat City; EPZA in this city; and San Isidro and Santa Lucia in Magalang town for people displaced by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo during the early 1990s.

Tarzan was elected and served chairman of Barangay Balibago a few months before he died on December 12, 2018. He was replaced by his first councilor, Rodelio "Tony" Mamac Sr.

He was the first city mayor here elected for three consecutive terms. It was during his term that the city government was able to provide affordable housing to 15,000 families.