Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon bared the accomplishments of his administration since assuming office in 2022 and said “there is much work still to be done” for the city.
“But as we reflect on our accomplishments, we also recognize that there is much work still to be done. We must remain committed to our vision of progress and continue working tirelessly to address the challenges that lie ahead,” said Biazon during his State of the City Address (SOCA) held during Muntinlupa’s 29th cityhood anniversary on March 1.
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon delivering his State of the City Address on March 1 (Photos from Muntinlupa PIO)
Muntinlupa became a highly urbanized city through Republic Act 7926 or the Charter of the City of Muntinlupa signed into law on March 1, 1995.
During Biazon’s second SOCA, he also recognized the efforts of past mayors of Muntinlupa including Baldomero Viñalon, Ignacio Bunye and Jaime Fresnedi.
“And as we gather to reflect on our past accomplishments and set our sights on the future, I am reminded of the enduring truth that progress is not merely measured by the structures we build or the policies we implement. It is also seen in how included, relevant and heard a person feels as a member of his or her community,” said Biazon.
When he became the mayor of Muntinlupa, Biazon said, “I adopted as my mission two objectives — provide the needs of Muntinlupeños and no one gets left behind.”
“We all want better days for our children and our children’s children. But in order to get there, we have to embark on a journey that begins with accepting the reality that the present isn’t perfect. We have gaps in our service, there are initiatives that are struggling to take off, there are limitations that are unanticipated,” he said.
He added, “We envision a Muntinlupa where every citizen embodies the values of integrity, responsibility, and excellence. Where each Muntinlupeño takes pride in their role as a law-abiding citizen, a dependable worker, a nurturing parent, or a diligent student.”
Among the programs of the Muntinlupa City government, Biazon said the scholarship program tremendously helped students and their families.
There are about 80,000 scholars in Muntinlupa every year. The city government increased the budget for scholarship to P587 million from P416 million “to provide for the increase of scholarship allowances that began last year.”
About 100,000 public school students were also provided with a free “Balik Eskwela” packages containing school bags, school supplies and leather shoes.
To help the education sector, Biazon launched the Womb to Work Program “that stitches together a series of interventions that address the different stages that a child goes through from the womb of the mother up to the age of productivity. The mission is to give each Muntinlupeño child the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated and productive. It begins by providing care for children even while they are in the womb, which means care for the mothers is just as critical.”
Part of Biazon’s program for children is on nutrition.
“The good news is we’re on the right track. In fact, Muntinlupa City recently was recently conferred the CROWN or Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition Award dahil sa back-to-back-to-back na pagtanggap natin ng Green Banner Award mula sa National Nutrition Council. Palakpakan natin ang ating City Nutrition Committee,” he said.
He added, “The local government’s nutrition programs continue to bring down the incidence of malnutrition. The number of underweight and severely underweight young children has gone down by almost a third since 2020.”
“Sabi nga natin, no one should be left behind. That’s why we are investing in our future Inclusive Learning Resource Center which will cater to the needs of our special education students. These are long-term programs that I truly hope will continue for many, many years to come, regardless of the admin in charge,” said Biazon.
The Muntinlupa City government also provided help to the marginalized and vulnerable sectors including senior citizens, persons with disabilities and LGBTQ+.
Under Biazon, the services at the city-run Ospital ng Muntinlupa were improved including expanding and renovating the emergency room, and purchasing new medical equipment.
During the event, Biazon led in recognizing the 2024 top 10 business taxpayers in Muntinlupa. These are:
1. Ford Group Philippines, Inc.
2. Filinvest Alabang Inc.
3. Filinvest Land Inc.-Festival Mall
4. Filinvest Reit Corp.
5. Manila Electric Company
6. Ayala Land Inc.
7. Alabang Commercial Corp.
8. Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd.
9. BF Jade E-Services Philippines Inc.
10. Fluor Daniel Inc. Phils.
The 2024 top 10 business taxpayers in Muntinlupa with Mayor Ruffy Biazon, Rep. Jaime Fresnedi, Vice Mayor Artemio Simundac and City Administrator Allan Cachuela (Photos from Muntinlupa PIO)
To help the local economy, Biazon said his administration will focus on helping startup businesses in innovation programming and new product development. This year, the city government will launch the Sikap Kabuhayan, Sikap Loan Program of the Muntinlupa Entrepreneurship Financing Division and Micro-Finance Loan ng City Cooperative Development Office.
As he wrapped up his speech, Biazon said, “It is hard to believe that it is already halfway through my first term as the City Mayor of Muntinlupa. So much has happened in a year and a half, and as you’ve seen, there’s a long list of achievements to be proud of. From revitalizing our City's infrastructure to implementing innovative programs that benefit every resident, we have made significant strides towards our goal of building a better Muntinlupa for all.”