Muntinlupa: Home of political leaders, artists, sports celebrities
Published Feb 29, 2020 12:00 am
By Jel Santos
Political leaders, entertainment icons, sports celebrities, artists are among the residents of Muntinlupa City, their choices made either because of family roots, or the convenience of living there.
Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi with members of the business sector. (Photo by Muntinlupa PIO)
Michael Anjielo Tabuyan, local historian, said there are many celebrities who were born there, lived there most of their lives, or had chosen to have their homes in one of the first class communities in the highly urbanized city.
Home of public servants
First on his list is Senator Cynthia Aguilar Villar, an active member of the senate, who chairs the Agrarian Reform, Agriculture and Food, and Environment and Natural Resources committees.
Senator Villar was born in Muntinlupa, got her early education when it was still a municipality, and only transferred to Las Pinas City after obtaining her elementary education.
“Actually, she was born in Muntinlupa. It was still a municipality then. She also studied here, at Muntinlupa Elementary School. She became a guest speaker at our school once,” he said in Filipino.
“In one of our school events several years ago, she shared that she could have studied in Muntinlupa National High School had they stayed in the town,” Tabuyan added.
In the 2019 elections, Villar was the top senator, garnering the most votes – around 25 million –among senatorial aspirants, and she was re-elected for a second term in the Senate. Twenty-five million is so far, the most number of votes cast for a senatorial candidate. When she was first elected as senator in 2013, Villar landed on the 10th spot with more than 11 million votes.
Prior to that, Villar served as a representative for the lone district of Las Pinas City from 2001 to 2010.
The former press secretary, and acting executive secretary of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ignacio “Toting” Bunye, is a resident of Muntinlupa City, Tabuyan said.
“Mr. Bunye also served as mayor of Muntinlupa when it became a city in 1995. Moreover, he was a former Monetary Board member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. He was also a former congressman of Muntinlupa,” the historian said.
President Fidel V. Ramos
Muntinlupa City is proud to declare that it is the home of former President Fidel V. Ramos, who served from 1992 to 1998, as the 12th president of the Republic of the Philippines.
“During his term, he signed Republic Act 7926, converting Muntinlupa into a highly urbanized city,” the historian said.
Tabuyan said the former president is currently a resident at Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa.
In 1972, Ramos was appointed by former president Ferdinand Marcos as chief of the Philippine Constabulary.
Under the administration of former president Corazon Aquino, he became military chief of staff from 1986 to 1988 and secretary of national defense from 1988 1991.
Muntinlupa is also the home of former Senator Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon, who also served as congressman of the city, the historian said.
His son, Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon is the current congressman of Muntinlupa City. He served as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs from 2011 to 2013.
Home of Filipino Pride
The late Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa, named National Artist for Architecture and Allied Arts in 2018, is also a son of Muntinlupa, Tabuyan said. He passed away on February 20, 2019, the historian said. He lived in an exclusive community in Muntinlupa.
The National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCAA) lists Mañosa’s major works, among them the: San Miguel Building in Ortigas Center, Pasig City; Chapel of the Risen Lord in Las Piñas City; Our Lady of Peace Shrine in EDSA, Quezon City; World Youth Day Papal Altar at Quirino Grandstand in Manila; Metrorail Transit System Stations for LRT 1; Quezon Memorial Circle Development Plan; Tahanang Pilipino (Coconut Palace); Amanpulo Resort.
Filipino skater
Tabuyan said Muntinlupa is also the hometown of Olympic figure skater Michael Christian Martinez, the first skater from Southeast Asia to qualify for the Olympics. He was the lone athlete to represent the country at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
In 2015, Martinez became the champion of the annual Asian Figure Skating Trophy. He was also a two-time Triglav Trophy champion, an international competition being held annually in Slovenia. The Filipino skater also bagged an ISU Challenger Series medal, and a silver at the 2014 Warsaw Cup which was held in Poland.
‘Munting lupa’
Citing the book of Professor Emerita Maria Luisa Camagay, president of the Philippine Historical Association, titled, Kasaysayan ng Muntinlupa (City Government of Muntinlupa, 2005), Tabuyan said the word “Muntinlupa” originated from the Spanish phrase “tierra pequeña,” which means “small land.”
“It refers to the few plains of the town where farming activities can be done, as its topography is mostly rolling hills. This was also supported by the accounts of the friars at that time, most notably Augustinian priest Joaquin Martinez de Zuñiga in his book Status of the Philippines in 1800,” he said.
The Agustinian historian wrote that Muntinlupa was a silent witness to the struggle for independence as it became part of the frontlines of the Spaniards in their military campaigns against the revolutionaries based in Cavite.
In 1897, Tabuyan said the people of Muntinlupa helped the revolutionary cause by aiding Emilio Aguinaldo evacuate to Biyak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan, as related by General Mariano Alvarez.
‘Prison town’
In the post-war period, he said the people started to refer to Muntinlupa as a “prison town” because the Bilibid prison was located there. The name stuck.
“In spite of this, Muntinlupa gradually transitioned from an agricultural-oriented town towards industrial-commercial community, thanks to the construction of the South Luzon Expressway during the late 1960s,” the historian said.
“Factories such as the Solid Mills, Pepsi Philippines, and Firestone dotted its plains. When Muntinlupa became part of Metro Manila in the 1970s, suburban communities like Ayala Alabang, Alabang Hills, and Hillsborough were established, starting its gradual urbanization that will reach its climax during the conversion of the Alabang Stock Farm as the Filiinvest City and the Madrigal Estate as the Madrigal Business Park. These later formed the foundations of the continuing progress of the town, which became more manifest upon its conversion as a highly urbanized city on March 1, 1995 under Republic Act 7956,” he added.
Since the late 1980s, the administrations of Mayors Ignacio Bunye (1986-1998), Jaime Fresnedi (1998-2007; 2013-present) and Aldrin San Pedro (2007-2013) had improved the governance and services of the City in order to attract investors and businessmen.
“Their efforts were truly worth it: Apart from making Muntinlupa a highly-urbanized city in 1995, the city became one of the model cities on business-friendliness, as supported by the presence of elite subdivisions such as the Ayala Alabang Village and business hubs such as the Festival City and the Madrigal Business Park,” he said.
Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi with members of the business sector. (Photo by Muntinlupa PIO)
Michael Anjielo Tabuyan, local historian, said there are many celebrities who were born there, lived there most of their lives, or had chosen to have their homes in one of the first class communities in the highly urbanized city.
Home of public servants
First on his list is Senator Cynthia Aguilar Villar, an active member of the senate, who chairs the Agrarian Reform, Agriculture and Food, and Environment and Natural Resources committees.
Senator Villar was born in Muntinlupa, got her early education when it was still a municipality, and only transferred to Las Pinas City after obtaining her elementary education.
“Actually, she was born in Muntinlupa. It was still a municipality then. She also studied here, at Muntinlupa Elementary School. She became a guest speaker at our school once,” he said in Filipino.
“In one of our school events several years ago, she shared that she could have studied in Muntinlupa National High School had they stayed in the town,” Tabuyan added.
In the 2019 elections, Villar was the top senator, garnering the most votes – around 25 million –among senatorial aspirants, and she was re-elected for a second term in the Senate. Twenty-five million is so far, the most number of votes cast for a senatorial candidate. When she was first elected as senator in 2013, Villar landed on the 10th spot with more than 11 million votes.
Prior to that, Villar served as a representative for the lone district of Las Pinas City from 2001 to 2010.
The former press secretary, and acting executive secretary of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ignacio “Toting” Bunye, is a resident of Muntinlupa City, Tabuyan said.
“Mr. Bunye also served as mayor of Muntinlupa when it became a city in 1995. Moreover, he was a former Monetary Board member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. He was also a former congressman of Muntinlupa,” the historian said.
President Fidel V. Ramos
Muntinlupa City is proud to declare that it is the home of former President Fidel V. Ramos, who served from 1992 to 1998, as the 12th president of the Republic of the Philippines.
“During his term, he signed Republic Act 7926, converting Muntinlupa into a highly urbanized city,” the historian said.
Tabuyan said the former president is currently a resident at Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa.
In 1972, Ramos was appointed by former president Ferdinand Marcos as chief of the Philippine Constabulary.
Under the administration of former president Corazon Aquino, he became military chief of staff from 1986 to 1988 and secretary of national defense from 1988 1991.
Muntinlupa is also the home of former Senator Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon, who also served as congressman of the city, the historian said.
His son, Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon is the current congressman of Muntinlupa City. He served as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs from 2011 to 2013.
Home of Filipino Pride
The late Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa, named National Artist for Architecture and Allied Arts in 2018, is also a son of Muntinlupa, Tabuyan said. He passed away on February 20, 2019, the historian said. He lived in an exclusive community in Muntinlupa.
The National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCAA) lists Mañosa’s major works, among them the: San Miguel Building in Ortigas Center, Pasig City; Chapel of the Risen Lord in Las Piñas City; Our Lady of Peace Shrine in EDSA, Quezon City; World Youth Day Papal Altar at Quirino Grandstand in Manila; Metrorail Transit System Stations for LRT 1; Quezon Memorial Circle Development Plan; Tahanang Pilipino (Coconut Palace); Amanpulo Resort.
Filipino skater
Tabuyan said Muntinlupa is also the hometown of Olympic figure skater Michael Christian Martinez, the first skater from Southeast Asia to qualify for the Olympics. He was the lone athlete to represent the country at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
In 2015, Martinez became the champion of the annual Asian Figure Skating Trophy. He was also a two-time Triglav Trophy champion, an international competition being held annually in Slovenia. The Filipino skater also bagged an ISU Challenger Series medal, and a silver at the 2014 Warsaw Cup which was held in Poland.
‘Munting lupa’
Citing the book of Professor Emerita Maria Luisa Camagay, president of the Philippine Historical Association, titled, Kasaysayan ng Muntinlupa (City Government of Muntinlupa, 2005), Tabuyan said the word “Muntinlupa” originated from the Spanish phrase “tierra pequeña,” which means “small land.”
“It refers to the few plains of the town where farming activities can be done, as its topography is mostly rolling hills. This was also supported by the accounts of the friars at that time, most notably Augustinian priest Joaquin Martinez de Zuñiga in his book Status of the Philippines in 1800,” he said.
The Agustinian historian wrote that Muntinlupa was a silent witness to the struggle for independence as it became part of the frontlines of the Spaniards in their military campaigns against the revolutionaries based in Cavite.
In 1897, Tabuyan said the people of Muntinlupa helped the revolutionary cause by aiding Emilio Aguinaldo evacuate to Biyak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan, as related by General Mariano Alvarez.
‘Prison town’
In the post-war period, he said the people started to refer to Muntinlupa as a “prison town” because the Bilibid prison was located there. The name stuck.
“In spite of this, Muntinlupa gradually transitioned from an agricultural-oriented town towards industrial-commercial community, thanks to the construction of the South Luzon Expressway during the late 1960s,” the historian said.
“Factories such as the Solid Mills, Pepsi Philippines, and Firestone dotted its plains. When Muntinlupa became part of Metro Manila in the 1970s, suburban communities like Ayala Alabang, Alabang Hills, and Hillsborough were established, starting its gradual urbanization that will reach its climax during the conversion of the Alabang Stock Farm as the Filiinvest City and the Madrigal Estate as the Madrigal Business Park. These later formed the foundations of the continuing progress of the town, which became more manifest upon its conversion as a highly urbanized city on March 1, 1995 under Republic Act 7956,” he added.
Since the late 1980s, the administrations of Mayors Ignacio Bunye (1986-1998), Jaime Fresnedi (1998-2007; 2013-present) and Aldrin San Pedro (2007-2013) had improved the governance and services of the City in order to attract investors and businessmen.
“Their efforts were truly worth it: Apart from making Muntinlupa a highly-urbanized city in 1995, the city became one of the model cities on business-friendliness, as supported by the presence of elite subdivisions such as the Ayala Alabang Village and business hubs such as the Festival City and the Madrigal Business Park,” he said.