The area under the Alabang viaduct in Muntinlupa is no longer an eyesore after it was converted into an open space complete with an eye-catching sculpture.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi led the inauguration on Feb. 24 of phase 1 of the Development of Alabang Viaduct, an initiative of the national government through its “Green, Green, Green” program.
Fresnedi thanked the Department of Budget Management (DBM) for selecting Muntinlupa as one of the recipients of the “green fund” amounting to P17.29 million.
He said the beautification of the area is a welcome development to the city’s green space and park improvement efforts.
The DBM launched the "Green, Green, Green” program to make the country's 145 cities more livable and sustainable through the development of public open spaces.
The new open space features a sculpture resembling a water lily which is commonly seen near the shore of Laguna Lake and local tributaries that empty to the lake.
Muntinlupa City Architect Don Causapin, designer of the urban space, said the park’s centerpiece symbolizes Muntinlupa residents’ strength, resourcefulness, and perseverance as water lilies are characterized as a resilient plant that can thrive and bloom even in extreme conditions. He hopes the open space will uplift the spirit of the residents who will visit the area.
The inauguration of the Alabang viaduct open space is part of the city’s celebration of its 26th cityhood anniversary on March 1.
Muntinlupa is among local government units in the country championing sustainability and building of open spaces as part of climate change mitigation.
In 2020, Muntinlupa represented the country as one of the finalists in the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC), a global competition that recognized cities with effective climate change action plans.
Muntinlupa also became one of the country’s representatives in the WWF’s We Love Cities campaign, a social campaign which aimed to bridge better communication between city officials and citizens on climate and sustainability issues.