▁children , ▁Laz o ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁F aire ▁( present - day ▁Santo ▁Ni ño ), ▁C ag ay an , ▁to ▁Fort un ato ▁and ▁Emil iana ▁Laz o . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁the ▁local ▁Justice ▁of ▁the ▁Peace . ▁Following ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁death ▁during ▁child b irth ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁his ▁a unt ▁helped ▁raise ▁the ▁family . ▁Laz o ▁graduated ▁from ▁Santo ▁N ino ▁Central ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁and ▁then ▁attended ▁C ag ay an ▁National ▁High ▁School ▁and ▁Christ ▁the ▁King ▁Sem inary , ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁Div ine ▁Word ▁Mission aries . ▁During ▁the ▁Japanese ▁occupation ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁fellow ▁nov ices ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁continue ▁their ▁studies ▁at ▁Im mac ulate ▁Con ception ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁V igan ▁City . ▁His ▁brother , ▁also ▁a ▁sem in arian , ▁was ▁killed ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁Pri est hood ▁Le aving ▁the ▁Div ine ▁Word ▁Mission aries ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁T ug u eg ara o , ▁Laz o ▁was ▁ord ained ▁to ▁the ▁priest hood ▁by ▁Arch bishop ▁Mar iano ▁Mad ri aga ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁He ▁then ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁priest ▁at ▁St . ▁Peter ' s ▁C athedral ▁in ▁V igan , ▁and ▁later ▁at ▁San ▁Jose ▁parish ▁in ▁Bag ga o . ▁He ▁also ▁founded ▁San ▁Jose ▁Academy . ▁In ▁ 1 9