Muntinlupa City: Trailblazing at 25
Published Feb 29, 2020 12:00 am
By Jonathan Hicap
“Our vision is for Muntinlupa to be one of the leading investment hubs in the country with educated, healthy and God-loving people, living peacefully and securely in a climate change-adaptive and disaster-resilient community under the rule of transparent, caring and accountable leadership.”
This is the key message of Mayor Jaime Fresnedi as Muntinlupa celebrates today a major milestone – its 25th anniversary as a highly-urbanized city.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi is focusing on sustainable development for Muntinlupa’s future. (Photos by Muntinlupa PIO)
It was on March 1, 1995 when then-President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act 7926 that converted Muntinlupa from a municipality to a city, followed by the ratification of the city charter by voters in a plebiscite on May 8, 1995.
The change in status came 77 years after Muntinlupa became an independent municipality with the signing of Executive Order 108 dated Dec. 19, 1917 by Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison.
Last December, Muntinlupa celebrated its 102nd founding anniversary. Muntinlupa today, with a population of 504,509 based on the 2015 Philippines census, is a bustling city that is teeming with development from manufacturing firms, shopping malls, schools, business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, hotels and condominiums to hospitals.
Leaders
After the EDSA Revolution in 1986, Ignacio Bunye and Fresnedi were appointed as officers-in-charge of Muntinlupa. The two won their first terms in the 1988 election with Bunye as mayor and Fresnedi as vice mayor. They served three terms until 1998.
While Muntinlupa became a city in 1995, it was only in 1998 when it became eligible to have its own congressman as mandated by RA 7926.
Fresnedi became the mayor from 1998 to 2007 and Bunye was Muntinlupa City’s first representative in Congress in 1998. Fresnedi was reelected as mayor in 2013, 2016 and 2019.
“Cityhood brought changes to Muntinlupa but development was not immediate. It takes time because we need resources. You also have to capacitate your people. But our direction is very clear, that’s the most important thing,” Fresnedi said.
Commercial development
The 1990s saw commercial development in Muntinlupa. The Ayala group inaugurated the Alabang Town Center in 1994 and started developing the Madrigal Business Park.
In April 1993, Filinvest Alabang and the then Public Estates Authority (PEA) signed a joint venture agreement for the development of the 244-hectare Alabang Stock Farm, which is now known as Filinvest City that houses the Festival Alabang (formerly Festival Supermall), Asian Hospital, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, Insular Life, Westgate Center, hotels like Vivere and Bellevue and condominiums, and the Northgate Cyberzone.
Metropolis Alabang (now Starmall Alabang) was also inaugurated. SM Center Muntinlupa opened in 2007. In his first year in office during his first term in 1998, Mayor Fresnedi was able to establish in Muntinlupa the offices of the Registry of Deeds, Land Transportation Office (LTO) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Higher tax collection
Under Fresnedi’s leadership, Muntinlupa flourished. In 2019, Muntinlupa’s business tax collection totaled P2.36 billion, higher than P2.18 billion in 2018 and P1.96 billion in 2017.
Its total revenue jumped to P5.42 billion last year compared to P5.02 billion in 2018 and P4.55 billion in 2017 that it was recognized as having the highest local revenue collection in the National Capital Region.
“As far as our stakeholders are concerned, I always believe that without the support of our partners from the private sector, we are nothing because they are our taxpayers. We need to welcome them, embrace them as part of a bigger family and consider them really as partners,” Fresnedi said.
9-point development agenda
Last year, Fresnedi unveiled his 9-Point Development Agenda that would focus on Health and Wellness, Local History and Culture, Education and Youth, Livelihood and Employment, Peace and Order, Socialized Housing, Good Governance, Economic Development and Environmental Protection.
These are all anchored on sustainable development, which according to the UN, is the “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Muntinlupa Scholarship Program
In education alone, the Muntinlupa Scholarship Program (MSP) now has 71,000 beneficiaries from elementary to college students, a big jump from 5,581 in 2013. The program offers educational assistance in the form of allowances and cash gifts.
Fresnedi believes that investing in people through education will propel Muntinlupa in its quest to be one of the top cities in the country.
“If you are preparing a city to be a competitive city, you have to prepare the people. I don’t like that a city is known as having best practices and yet, there are many people who are being left behind when it comes to education. Kailangan walang maiwanan,” he said.
He added, “Like when we first launched the inclusive scholarship program, I believe that when one is given the opportunity, he or she will strive hard. True enough, we now see board or bar topnotchers coming from Muntinlupa who are graduates of schools in the city.”
Business community’s support
Fresnedi’s programs, projects and policies have attracted the support of the business community.
“Definitely there’s really a bright future for Muntinlupa because of the leadership of the mayor plus all the other people at the city hall. What they’re doing, there’s a lot of interaction and collaboration among the stakeholders,” said Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Muntinlupa.
She cited the city’s Joint Resources Financing Program, a scheme that provides low income families with capital at zero interest, to help develop micro, small, medium enterprises (MSME).
“He’s got a lot of projects on education, capacity building and making sure that there’s no stone left unturned. What he wants is a strong Muntinlupa City. He’s giving programs to every sector, to every level of the society. For example, for MSME, he’s got a lot of programs like dagdag puhunan that you don’t have to pay interest. He’s encouraging people to become businessmen,” she said.
Awards
Under the Fresnedi administration, Muntinlupa has garnered numerous awards. It was recognized as the Most Business-Friendly LGU in 2017 and 2018 and earned a special citation in 2019 for the award given by the PCCI.
The city government also received the Seal of Good Local Governance in 2015 and 2019 from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
“The PCCI sees that there’s really a bright future because we see all these multi-level efforts. For two consecutive years, we emerged as the winner of the most business-friendly. That’s because of their efforts in capacity building geared towards business for the inclusive growth of the city,” said Quiazon.
Infrastructure
Numerous infrastructure projects have been built including school buildings and classroom, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police-Muntinlupa, Museo ng Muntinlupa, Colegio de Muntinlupa, health centers, fire station, roads and multi-purpose centers. Overall, Quiazon said, “We are quite satisfied or maybe more than satisfied because of the leadership. We see in him one that exercises good governance.”
Just doing his job
Despite the accolades and recognition, Fresnedi said he is just doing his job for Muntinlupa to become a competitive city. “I can keep on saying that I’m here to serve the people, to give opportunity. This is what I’m doing,” he said.
“What we want is for Muntinlupa to become one of the leading investment sites. We want our people to get education. We want our city to become disaster resilient. We want healthy people, that is why we are providing health centers in addition to the Ospital ng Muntinlupa,” he explained.
Fresnedi said that “we now see the development, we are being appreciated and recognized for what we do so we must continue them. It must be sustainable development and collaboration.”
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi is focusing on sustainable development for Muntinlupa’s future. (Photos by Muntinlupa PIO)
It was on March 1, 1995 when then-President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act 7926 that converted Muntinlupa from a municipality to a city, followed by the ratification of the city charter by voters in a plebiscite on May 8, 1995.
The change in status came 77 years after Muntinlupa became an independent municipality with the signing of Executive Order 108 dated Dec. 19, 1917 by Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison.
Last December, Muntinlupa celebrated its 102nd founding anniversary. Muntinlupa today, with a population of 504,509 based on the 2015 Philippines census, is a bustling city that is teeming with development from manufacturing firms, shopping malls, schools, business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, hotels and condominiums to hospitals.
Leaders
After the EDSA Revolution in 1986, Ignacio Bunye and Fresnedi were appointed as officers-in-charge of Muntinlupa. The two won their first terms in the 1988 election with Bunye as mayor and Fresnedi as vice mayor. They served three terms until 1998.
While Muntinlupa became a city in 1995, it was only in 1998 when it became eligible to have its own congressman as mandated by RA 7926.
Fresnedi became the mayor from 1998 to 2007 and Bunye was Muntinlupa City’s first representative in Congress in 1998. Fresnedi was reelected as mayor in 2013, 2016 and 2019.
“Cityhood brought changes to Muntinlupa but development was not immediate. It takes time because we need resources. You also have to capacitate your people. But our direction is very clear, that’s the most important thing,” Fresnedi said.
Commercial development
The 1990s saw commercial development in Muntinlupa. The Ayala group inaugurated the Alabang Town Center in 1994 and started developing the Madrigal Business Park.
In April 1993, Filinvest Alabang and the then Public Estates Authority (PEA) signed a joint venture agreement for the development of the 244-hectare Alabang Stock Farm, which is now known as Filinvest City that houses the Festival Alabang (formerly Festival Supermall), Asian Hospital, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, Insular Life, Westgate Center, hotels like Vivere and Bellevue and condominiums, and the Northgate Cyberzone.
Metropolis Alabang (now Starmall Alabang) was also inaugurated. SM Center Muntinlupa opened in 2007. In his first year in office during his first term in 1998, Mayor Fresnedi was able to establish in Muntinlupa the offices of the Registry of Deeds, Land Transportation Office (LTO) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Higher tax collection
Under Fresnedi’s leadership, Muntinlupa flourished. In 2019, Muntinlupa’s business tax collection totaled P2.36 billion, higher than P2.18 billion in 2018 and P1.96 billion in 2017.
Its total revenue jumped to P5.42 billion last year compared to P5.02 billion in 2018 and P4.55 billion in 2017 that it was recognized as having the highest local revenue collection in the National Capital Region.
“As far as our stakeholders are concerned, I always believe that without the support of our partners from the private sector, we are nothing because they are our taxpayers. We need to welcome them, embrace them as part of a bigger family and consider them really as partners,” Fresnedi said.
9-point development agenda
Last year, Fresnedi unveiled his 9-Point Development Agenda that would focus on Health and Wellness, Local History and Culture, Education and Youth, Livelihood and Employment, Peace and Order, Socialized Housing, Good Governance, Economic Development and Environmental Protection.
These are all anchored on sustainable development, which according to the UN, is the “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Muntinlupa Scholarship Program
In education alone, the Muntinlupa Scholarship Program (MSP) now has 71,000 beneficiaries from elementary to college students, a big jump from 5,581 in 2013. The program offers educational assistance in the form of allowances and cash gifts.
Fresnedi believes that investing in people through education will propel Muntinlupa in its quest to be one of the top cities in the country.
“If you are preparing a city to be a competitive city, you have to prepare the people. I don’t like that a city is known as having best practices and yet, there are many people who are being left behind when it comes to education. Kailangan walang maiwanan,” he said.
He added, “Like when we first launched the inclusive scholarship program, I believe that when one is given the opportunity, he or she will strive hard. True enough, we now see board or bar topnotchers coming from Muntinlupa who are graduates of schools in the city.”
Business community’s support
Fresnedi’s programs, projects and policies have attracted the support of the business community.
“Definitely there’s really a bright future for Muntinlupa because of the leadership of the mayor plus all the other people at the city hall. What they’re doing, there’s a lot of interaction and collaboration among the stakeholders,” said Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Muntinlupa.
She cited the city’s Joint Resources Financing Program, a scheme that provides low income families with capital at zero interest, to help develop micro, small, medium enterprises (MSME).
“He’s got a lot of projects on education, capacity building and making sure that there’s no stone left unturned. What he wants is a strong Muntinlupa City. He’s giving programs to every sector, to every level of the society. For example, for MSME, he’s got a lot of programs like dagdag puhunan that you don’t have to pay interest. He’s encouraging people to become businessmen,” she said.
Awards
Under the Fresnedi administration, Muntinlupa has garnered numerous awards. It was recognized as the Most Business-Friendly LGU in 2017 and 2018 and earned a special citation in 2019 for the award given by the PCCI.
The city government also received the Seal of Good Local Governance in 2015 and 2019 from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
“The PCCI sees that there’s really a bright future because we see all these multi-level efforts. For two consecutive years, we emerged as the winner of the most business-friendly. That’s because of their efforts in capacity building geared towards business for the inclusive growth of the city,” said Quiazon.
Infrastructure
Numerous infrastructure projects have been built including school buildings and classroom, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police-Muntinlupa, Museo ng Muntinlupa, Colegio de Muntinlupa, health centers, fire station, roads and multi-purpose centers. Overall, Quiazon said, “We are quite satisfied or maybe more than satisfied because of the leadership. We see in him one that exercises good governance.”
Just doing his job
Despite the accolades and recognition, Fresnedi said he is just doing his job for Muntinlupa to become a competitive city. “I can keep on saying that I’m here to serve the people, to give opportunity. This is what I’m doing,” he said.
“What we want is for Muntinlupa to become one of the leading investment sites. We want our people to get education. We want our city to become disaster resilient. We want healthy people, that is why we are providing health centers in addition to the Ospital ng Muntinlupa,” he explained.
Fresnedi said that “we now see the development, we are being appreciated and recognized for what we do so we must continue them. It must be sustainable development and collaboration.”