Muntinlupa City

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City of Muntinlupa
Lungsod ng Muntinlupa

Seal
Nickname(s): Emerald City of the Philippines
Motto: Lakas, Talino at Buhay
Strength, Wisdom and Life
Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Muntinlupa City

City of Muntinlupa

Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 121°3′E / 14.383°N 121.05°E / 14.383; 121.05Coordinates: 121°3′E / 14.383°N 121.05°E / 14.383; 121.05
Country  Philippines
Region National Capital Region
Districts Lone district of Muntinlupa City
Barangays 9
Incorporated (town) 1601
Incorporated (city) March 1, 1995
Government
 - Mayor Aldrin L. San Pedro (Lakas Kampi CMD)
 - Vice Mayor Artemio A. Simundac (Lakas Kampi CMD)
 - Sangguniang Panlungsod
Area
 - Total 46.70 km² (18 sq mi)
Elevation 16.0 m (52 ft)
Population (2000)
 - Total 379,310
 - Density 8,122/km² (21,035.9/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 1771 to 1780
Area code(s) 2
Website www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph

The City of Muntinlupa (Filipino: Lungsod ng Muntinlupa) is the southernmost city in Philippine National Capital Region. It is bordered on the north by Taguig City; to the northwest by Parañaque City; by Las Piñas City to the west; to the southwest by the municipality of Bacoor, Cavite; by the municipality of San Pedro, Laguna; and by Laguna de Bay to the east, the largest lake in the country. It is classified as a Highly Urbanized City[1] with a population of more than 400,000[2] and is given the nickname "Emerald City of the Philippines" by the tourism establishment^{[citation needed]}.

Muntinlupa was once notoriously known as the location of the national insular penitentiary, the New Bilibid Prison, where the country's most dangerous criminals were incarcerated. Consequently, Muntinlupa or "Munti" became synonymous with the national penitentiary although it has largely shaken-off this negative image to become one of the most progressive cities in the country.

Muntinlupa is also home to some of the best commercial establishments in the metropolis and is the location of Ayala Alabang Village, one of the country's biggest and most expensive residential communities, where many of the wealthy and famous live. Among the village's well-known residents include former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, actor Aga Muhlach and his wife, actress/host Charlene Gonzalez and the prince of Brunei^{[citation needed]}.

Economy and development

Barangay Alabang, part of the second district of Muntinlupa, has undergone tremendous growth mainly due to a development boom in the late 1990s. The development of two large scale commercial real estate projects namely; the Filinvest Corporate City and Ayala Land's Madrigal Business Park, changed the landscape of Muntinlupa City from what was once vast fields of cow pasture in the late 1980s, into a supercity that houses new residential, business, industrial and commercial establishments. It was a transformation reminiscent of Makati City's development boom some 30 years prior.

Some of the country's premier shopping centers, including the Alabang Town Center and the Festival Supermall, the towering Insular Life Towers, the Asian Hospital and Medical Center, and the Northgate Business District, which specializes in hosting information and technology industries, are important places of interest and landmarks of the city. Nightlife is still relatively staid compared to those of its neighbors, and younger residents often flock to other cities in Metro Manila, particularly Makati, Taguig, or Manila, during the weekend to enjoy the night out.

This city has recently acquired the status "Most Competitive City" and the "Most Improved City" in the Philippines.^{[citation needed]}

History of the name

The history of the name “Muntinlupa” comes from at least three stories.

• First, its association with the thin topsoil in the area.
• Second, residents, purportedly replying to a question by Spaniards in the 16th century what the name of their place was, said “Monte sa Lupa”—apparently mistaking the question for what card game they were playing.
• Third, the topographical nature of the area, where the term Monte or mountain was expanded to Muntinlupa or mountain land.

Some documents suggest that the first and third versions of Muntinlupa and Monte sa Lupa respectively eventually became Muntinlupa either through misspelling or mispronunciation. But no record to date can firmly establish which of the three versions is historically correct.

Muntinlupa is an old term that refers to a barangay hence called as Munting Lupa (which means a smaller branch of a city or a municipality, often referred to a county) now known as the Población. As early as 1800, the Catholic priest Father Joaquín de Zúñiga chronicled it as La poblacion que sigue se llama Muntinlupa and Muntinglupa was used as the Tagalog term for the city during the American era.

Historical milestone

Date Event
1601 Some 80 years after the discovery of the islands for King Philip II of Spain by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, the original lands constituting Muntinlupa could be deduced to have been friar lands administered by the Augustinians, then sold and assigned to the Sanctuary of Guadalupe.
1869 The lands were transferred to the state and large individual landholders. In an effort by the Spanish Government to bring under closer administrative control the people living in the contiguous sitios, as well as those in Alabang, Tunasan, Sucat and Cupang, the municipality was created upon the recommendation of a government official, Professor de Medicina and a prominent Castillan, Don Eduardo de Canizares.
August 6, 1898 The town supported the Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards and formally joined the revolutionary government headed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
June 1, 1901 The Philippine Commission promulgated Rizal Province on June 11, 1901 through Act 137. Muntinlupa becomes a district of Morong, Rizal.
November 25, 1903 Under the American regime, Muntinlupa was incorporated under Act 1008 and included within the boundary of Laguna province under the municipality of Biňan. Muntinlupa residents protested this Executive Act, and through their town head, Marcelo Fresnedi, filed a formal petition to the Governor for the return of the municipality to the province of Rizal.
March 22, 1905 Act 1308 paved the way for Muntinlupa's return to Rizal province to become a part of Taguig along with Pateros.
January 1, 1918 Governor General Harrison's Executive Order 108, which grants the petition of residents for an independent status of their municipality, takes effect. Vidal Joaquin, a native of Alabang, served as the first appointed mayor in 1918-1919 followed by Primo Ticman, native of Poblacion 1919-1922while the first elected mayor was Melencio Espeleta1922-1924.
January 22, 1941 The historic New Bilibid Prison, the national penitentiary, was established in the hills of Muntinlupa.
November 7, 1975 Muntinlupa became a part of Metropolitan Manila by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824 issued by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
June 13, 1986 Following the EDSA Revolution in February that year, President Corazon C. Aquino appoints Atty. Ignacio R. Bunye, Officer-In-Charge of Muntinlupa as part of a nationwide revamp of local government units. In the ratification of the 1986 Constitution, Muntinlupa together with Las Piñas formed one political district.
December 6, 1988 President Corazon C. Aquino by Proclamation 351 declares the 19th of December as "Municipality of Muntinlupa Day".
1995 On February 16, House Bill No. 14401 converting the Municipality of Muntinlupa into a highly urbanized city was approved by the House of Representatives. Then on March 1, Muntinlupa becomes the 65th city in the Philippines as signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos, its conversion into a highly urbanized city by virtue of Republic Act No. 7926.
March 1, 2001 An act declaring the First Day of March of every year as a Special Working Holiday in the City of Muntinlupa to be known as "The Muntinlupa City Charter Day" by virtue of Senate Bill No. 2165.
August 3, 2007 The city hall of Muntinlupa was completely damaged and later abandoned due to a fire. The fire started at a squatters area, just behind the city hall. Almost all files, important documents and other references of Muntinlupa were burned.[3]

Historical Landmarks

• The Bureau of Corrections Administration Building - This is a prison facade that houses the offices of the prison administration. The maximum security compound, consisting of 12 buildings called brigades are located at the western side of the facade. The structures were built in 1941, but it is the area of the medium security compound that is being shown in movies and in television. The maximum security compount was never shown in TV or in movies, except for the Office of the Director and the front view of the Maximum Security Compound.
• Jamboree Lake - This is the smallest natural lake in the country, a favorite hang-out spot for nature lovers, as well as ordinary passers-by looking for a cool respite from the tropical heat. The lake has been in existence since time immemorial.
• Memorial Hill - This is a small hill in the NBP reservation compound that cradles a World War II Vintage Japanese canon. The hill is likewise the burial place of Eriberto Misa the famous Prison`s Director from 1937 to 1949.
• Director's Quarters - The structure manifest an influence of a pre-war architecture that characterizes the outstanding edifice. This was built simultaneously with the Administration Building in 1941. This is also the official residence of the Director of Bureau of Corrections.
• The Japanese Garden Cemetery - The cemetery is a burial place of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Japanese general who became famous during the Japanese occupation of the country.

Government

Muntinlupa City is governed primarily by the city mayor, the vice-mayor and the city councilors. The mayor acts as the chief executive of the city while the city councilors acts as its legislative body. The vice-mayor, besides taking on mayoral responsibilities in case of a temporary vacany, acts as the presiding officer of the city legislature. The legislative body is composed of 16 regular members (8 per district) and representatives from the barangay and the youth council.[4]