The governance style of Angeles City Mayor Carmelo ‘Jonjon’ Lazatin reminds me of is grandpa, Rafael L. Lazatin aka Apung Feleng, who was mayor in the early seventies. The old man Lazatin was no-nonsense, very strict, industrious and incorruptible. Jonjon is a chip of the old man’s block. Since he assumed office in July he had his sleeves rolled and buckled down to work. According to my bubuwit, to borrow DZRH Deo Macalma’s word, Mayor Jonjon became a ‘ghost buster’. There was not much money left in the treasury. Many names on the city hall payroll were scratched. He ordered the installation of biometric system and salaries be paid via ATM. He pruned down the number of job order (JO) employees. That’s a welcome news for the constituents.
Angeles City continue to grow. It's evolving into a real busy metropolitan. It has more or less half million actual residential population. Daytime population baloons to more than a million as people from different towns and provinces motor to the city. Today, its more than 6,000 hectares continue to be a preferred choice for investors. There are so many wealthy families in the city and the Nepomucenos, are considered one of the richest. They have been in property development ever since I can remember. They built gated subdivisions like Villa Teresa and Holy Angel Village. Now they partnered with the Lopezes and are currently building condominiums.
There's still a strong demand for urban dwellers so more high rise condominiums are expected to be built to accommodate them. SMDC of the Sy family are about to complete construction of condominium units in the Timog area in Barangay Pampang. In the eighties, Barangay Cuayan was the least populated among the 33 barangays of the city. Today, month after month new subdivisions, buildings and commercial establishments are being built. It was once a sleepy barrio with only few houses dotting both sides of the road and in few years it morphed into a commercial area. One local businessman, Willie Tan and his son,lawyer Ryan are currently developing a wide area for a medium class subdivision.
The Korean businessmen who partnered with the locals and others with dummies established hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, massage parlors and nightclubs outside the now very popular Korean Town in Barangay Anunas. Night life shifted from the Barangay Balibago area to Barangay Malabanias and Anunas. We are witnessing business activities in this area never witnessed before. Before the departure of the American servicemen from nearby Clark Air Force Base in 1991, the above mentioned places were not for tourists but places for souvenir hunters.
Like what they describe New York City of the United States as the ‘city never sleeps’, Angeles City is also a 24 hour place. The city hosts so many eating places where gourmets will satisfy their palates. Name it, the city has it. It’s a city for good times.