Some family names become closely linked to the growth of a city.
In San Fernando and elsewhere in Pampanga, the Lazatin name is one of them.
After years of involvement in various businesses and property partnerships, the Lazatin family is once again active in real estate, with Essel Park – Executive Homes and East Gate Center now being offered to the market.
Leading the family’s current real estate activities is Gino Lazatin Magat, family representative of S&L, Inc., together with his uncles and aunties Jimmy Lazatin, Marco Lazatin, Roberto Panlilio, Maria Noelle Blanco and Serafin Pecson.
Essel Park – Executive Homes is a 7.5-hectare residential development, while East Gate Center is being positioned for commercial use.
The story behind the Essel name goes back to the family’s roots.
At the foundation were Don Serafin Lazatin and Doña Encarnacion Singian-Lazatin. “Essel” or “SL” is a play on the first letters of the family names Singian and Lazatin, carrying those names into the family’s property ventures.
Real estate was among the family’s business interests as early as the 1960s, when it developed L&S Subdivision in Barangay Santo Domingo, Angeles City.
The family later developed Essel Park, which reflects the spacious residential planning of an earlier era. Its larger lots stand in contrast to the smaller cuts commonly found in many newer subdivisions.
The Lazatins were also involved in the commercial development of San Fernando.
Properties sold by the family eventually became the sites of SM City Pampanga and Robinsons Starmills, two major developments that helped expand the city’s commercial base and attract businesses and employment.
After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the family partnered with a local developer to establish EastGate Center, strategically located beside Robinsons Starmills and across from SM City Pampanga.
The family also pursued partnerships with established property developers, including Landco Pacific Corporation for WoodGrove Park in Barangay Del Carmen and the Pueblo de Oro Group for another residential development.
Today, the family is preparing for another phase of property development.
At the September 19 relaunch of Essel Park, the Lazatins also offered a preview of The Grove by Essel, a residential community in Barangay Del Carmen, City of San Fernando, beside Woodgrove.
But the family is making it clear that The Grove is still in the preparation stage. Its license to sell is being processed, with land development expected to begin once the necessary requirements are completed.
For now, the focus is on Essel Park – Executive Homes and East Gate Center.
There is something noteworthy about seeing the Lazatin family return to an industry where it has a long history.
Their earlier developments and property transactions became part of the physical and commercial landscape of Pampanga. The current projects show that the family is once again putting its resources and experience into property development.
The market will ultimately determine the success of these projects.
But one thing is already clear: the Lazatins are back in real estate, and the Essel name is once again being placed on new properties in Pampanga.