Provincial

LAWMAKER SEEKS P300-M DPWH FUND TO REBUILD FIRE-HIT PAMPANGA PUBLIC MARKET

admin September 29, 2026

BY KEVIN GALANG

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — Congressman Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. of the First District of Pampanga has sought for a P300 million funding from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the reconstruction of the Pampang Public Market destroyed by fire.

The lawmaker issued the request a day after the blaze damaged parts of the public market.

Lazatin assured vendors and their families that the facility would rise again.

“Babangon muli ang Pampang Public Market,” he said.

The Pampanga solon personally reached out to DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to request that funds for the reconstruction of the affected areas be included in the 2027 national budget.

“Nakikiramay at nakikiisa ako at ang aking tanggapan sa mga vendor at kanilang pamilya, gayun din sa kanilang mga trabahante sa naganap na sunog sa Pampang Market,” Lazatin said.

“Kasama po ninyo ako sa inyong pagbangon,” he added.

Lazatin inspected the public market with DPWH district engineer Cezar Abella and engineer Sheryl Faustino to assess the extent of the damage and determine the reconstruction requirements.

He urged the DPWH to coordinate closely with the Angeles City Engineer’s Office to facilitate the repair and reconstruction of the affected portions of the market as soon as possible.

The lawmaker likewise coordinated with Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II for assistance in rebuilding the market and helping affected vendors recover from the fire.

“Ang Pampang Market ay hindi lang simpleng palengke, parte ito ng araw-araw na buhay ng bawat Angeleño at lahat ng mga nakatira sa karatig bayan na namamalengke rin dito,” Lazatin said.

The Pampang Public Market has a history of fire incidents, with the original market destroyed by a blaze in 2020.

During his tenure as Angeles City mayor, Lazatin spearheaded the construction of a new, modernized P400-million market building to replace the old structure.

The new Pampang Public Market was inaugurated on Nov. 29, 2024, but portions of the facility were again damaged by the Sept. 16, 2026 fire.

The proposed P300-million allocation would be intended for the reconstruction of the affected areas, subject to the budget process and the availability and approval of government funds.