Muntinlupa

• 1601: Some 88 years after the arrival of Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan in the Visayas islands, 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 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 Biñan. 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 1919-1922 while the first elected mayor was Melencio Espeleta (1922-1924).

Facade of New Bilibid Prison

• January 22, 1941: The historic New Bilibid Prison, the national penitentiary, was established in the hills of Muntinlupa.
• November 7, 1975: Muntinlupa was transferred from the Province of Rizal to the newly formed Metropolitan Manila by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824 issued by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.[8]
• June 13, 1986: Following the EDSA Revolution in February that year, President Corazón C. Aquino appoints Ignacio R. Bunye, Officer-In-Charge of Muntinlupa as part of a nationwide revamp of local government units. In the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, Muntinlupa together with Las Piñas formed one political district.
• December 6, 1988: President Corazon C. Aquino by Proclamation 351 declares December 19 as "Municipality of Muntinlupa Day".
• February 16, 1995: 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. Per Section 62 of R.A. 7926 Muntinlupa and Las Piñas were to constitute separate congressional districts, with each district electing its separate representative in the 1998 elections. This separation was additionally confirmed in the city charter of Las Piñas (R.A. 8251) which was approved by plebiscite on March 26, 1997.
• June 30, 1998: Former mayor Ignacio Bunye elected and sworn as the first congressman representing the city while Manny Villar became the first congressman of Las Piñas.

• March 1, 2001: Republic Act 9191 declaring the First Day of March of every year as a Special Non-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 from a slum area behind the city hall. Almost all files, important documents and other references of Muntinlupa were burned.[9]
• March 15, 2020: The city and the entire metropolitan Manila was placed under community quarantine for one month due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

Photo of Muntinlupa along Laguna de Bay and nearby cities captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite on May 8, 2016

It is bordered on the north by Taguig; to the northwest by Parañaque; by Las Piñas to the west; to the southwest by the city of Bacoor in Cavite; by the city of San Pedro, Laguna; and by Laguna de Bay to the east, the largest lake in the country.

Muntinlupa's terrain is relatively flat to sloping towards the east along the lake. Gentle rolling hills occupy the western part of the city, with elevation increasing up to 60 meters and above towards its southwest portion.

While majority of the land area in the city is highly urbanized, the NBP Reservation in barangay Poblacion is relatively free of urbanization but there are ongoing discussions to move the national penitentiary to Nueva Ecija.[10]

Filinvest skyline at night as seen from Commerce Avenue at Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Alabang is the business district of the city where the tallest structures in the city are located. It used to be the location of Alabang Stock Farm.[11] Land reclamation is also done along the Laguna Lake for further developments in the city. During the dry season, the water level in the lake subsides, exposing the soil that is then used for farming.

The dry season rungs through the months of November to April, while the wet season starts in May and lasts to November. The wet season reaches its peak in the month of August. Maximum rainfall in Muntinlupa usually occurs from the month of June to September. The average annual of rainfall is 2,014.8 millimeters with a peak of 420.0 millimeters in July and a low 26.9 millimeters in April. The highest temperature occurs during the month of April and May (34 degrees Celsius) while the lowest occurs during the months of January & February (24 degrees Celsius)

The west segment of the Marikina Valley Fault System, the West Valley Fault (WVF) cuts through parts of Muntinlupa[13] and moves in a predominantly dextral strike-slip motion.[14] The West Valley Fault is capable of producing large scale earthquakes on its active phases with a magnitude of 7 or higher.[13]

People on from Muntinlupa are referred to as Muntinlupeño as an adaptations from the standard Spanish suffix -(eñ/n)o.

The native language of Muntinlupa is Tagalog, but the majority of the residents can understand and speak English.

Catholic Church at Poblacion, Muntinlupa

People in Muntinlupa are mainly Roman Catholic. Catholic churches in Muntinlupa are under the control of the Diocese of Parañaque which has about 11 parishes within Muntinlupa.

Other religions in Muntinlupa includes various Protestant denominations, Iglesia ni Cristo, Members Church of God International, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.

Northgate Cyberzone is the information technology park within Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang. The 18.7 hectare, PEZA registered IT zone is designed, mastered-planned and built around the needs of technology-based companies engaged in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), education, learning and firm, software design and multimedia, call centers, e-commerce, banking and financial services, as well as other IT support businesses and the like. It is home to Capital One Philippines Support Services Corp., Convergys Philippines Corp, HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Philippines), Inc., Genpact, Verizon Business and many more.[19]

Kawasaki Motors Philippines Corporation is in charge of production and distribution of Kawasaki Motors in the Philippines. KMPC, having been in the country for over 40 years, is hailed today as one of the top manufacturers in the Philippine motorcycle industry. Amkor Technology is a semiconductor product packaging and test services provider. Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines has a plant located at Tunasan, Muntinlupa. Zuellig Pharma is within the city.

Shopping Centers in Muntinlupa include Alabang Town Center and Ayala Malls South Park owned by Ayala Malls popular for the people for the citizens of Southern Manila, Festival Alabang owned and operated by Filinvest Development Corporationit has an area of 20 hectares, Starmall Alabang (formerly known as Metropolis Star Alabang), and SM Center Muntinlupa owned by SM Prime Holdings.

There are multiple car dealerships located in Muntinlupa and most of them are along the Alabang-Zapote Road in Alabang. Ford Motors Alabang has a five-floor facility covering a floor area of nearly 13,000 square meters including a 2-floor, 23-vehicle showroom and a 4-floor, and an 80-bay service center. Toyota Alabang also constructed a facility with a showroom, parts warehouse, office & service facilities in a 5,000 square meter lot. Audi Alabang, Chevrolet Alabang, Chrysler Alabang, Mitsubishi Motors Alabang, Nissan and Suzuki Alabang are also located within the area, most of which are along the Alabang - Zapote Road. Still in Alabang-Zapote Road but located in barangay Ayala Alabang are Hyundai Alabang, Isuzu Alabang and Honda Alabang.

Muntinlupa City Seal

Designed by Manuel Amorsolo, son of a national artist Fernando Amorsolo, the City Seal features the Philippine Eagle, the biggest, the strongest and the highest flying bird of the Philippine Republic, a bird that symbolizes the city's mission to become the Premiere Emerald City of the 21st Century.[27] It is composed of:

• The Philippine Eagle - Symbolizes the City of Muntinlupa soaring into new heights in terms of progress and prosperity; the characteristics properly enlikened to a mother, that is caring, loving and nurturing her children to become good and responsible citizens of the country; and Muntinlupa's hope, vision and dream of becoming a premiere city of the nation.
• Bamboo Surrounding the Seal - Symbolizes the ability of the citizens of Muntinlupa to cope up with the fast changing times; that we can withstand the trials that come our way and stand still and ready to triumph again.
• Lakas, Talino at Buhay - These are words taken from the lyrics of the Muntinlupa March, the city's official anthem. These are values that will guide the city in achieving its goals and visions.
• 1917 and 1995 - The year 1917 marks the time when Muntinlupa became an independent town while the year 1995 was the time when Muntinlupa became a city.
• The Philippine Flag - The flag behind the eagle symbolizes the City of Muntinlupa being a part of the Republic of the Philippines and its government.
• The Nine Stars - The nine (9) stars symbolize the nine barangays that comprises the City of Muntinlupa namely, Tunasan, Poblacion, Putatan and Bayanan for District I and Alabang, Cupang, Buli, Sucat and Ayala Alabang for District II.

Muntinlupa has its official hymn, called "Martsa ng Muntinlupa", composed by Renato Dilig. It was adopted in 1989, during its time as municipality.[28]

Municipal Mayors:

City Mayors:

• Ignacio Bunye - June 13, 1986 – July 1, 1998
• Jaime R. Fresnedi - July 1, 1998 – July 1, 2007
• Aldrin L. San Pedro - July 1, 2007 – July 1, 2013
• Jaime R. Fresnedi - July 1, 2013 – Present

Muntinlupa is composed of a lone congressional district, and two legislative districts which are further subdivided into nine barangays.[29] Legislative District One includes barangays Bayanan, Putatan, Poblacion and Tunasan in the southern half of the city, while legislative District Two are barangays Alabang, Buli, Ayala Alabang, Cupang and Sucat in the northern portion of the city.

Barangay map of Muntinlupa

Other Zip Codes include Muntinlupa Central Post Office 1770, Ayala Alabang Village 1780, Pleasant Village 1777, Susana Heights 1774, and Filinvest City 1781.

The barangays of the city is named after the botanical characteristics, topographical features, and historical events that had been observed in the area when it was named. Tunasan from the plant tunas. Putatan got its name from a tree called putat. Cupang is likewise named after the cupang tree. Buli is named after the buri palm. Alabang is named after the river that passes through the barangay. Ayala Alabang was created by Batas Pambansa Bilang 219 and was originally a part of Barangay Alabang. Sucat got its name from the vernacular word "sukat" which means “measurement” since during the Spanish era was always measured.

While Barangays are the administrative divisions of the city, and are legally part of the addresses of establishments and homes, many residents indicate their Subdivision (village) instead of their Barangay.

Muntinlupa Museum is a five-story structure which is set to contain items of historical value to the city. The exterior is designed to look like a traditional fishtrap.[31]

Plaza Central Building where the Muntinlupa Public Library is located

Muntinlupa City Public Library is located at the recently constructed Plaza Central Building at Muntinlupa Poblacion. Plaza Central was inaugurated on October 6, 2017. It is located at the previous site of the Contessa Building (Old City Hall).[32]

Muntinlupa has 10 swimming pools, 14 Billiard Halls, 11 Tennis Courts, 8 Resorts, 7 Country Clubs, 9 Dance/Fitness/Slimming Centers, 41 Open Basketball Courts, 59 Covered Basketball Cours and 11 Parks & Playgrounds.[33] The Muntinlupa Sports Complex is used for a variety of activities such as concerts, conferences, reunions and graduations, the sports complex has 3,500 seating capacity and has two separate multipurpose rooms. Located on a reclaimed area in Barangay Tunasan, it has an open area which local residents enjoy their morning exercise and leisure time.

Since 2017, the site of Karpos' Wanderland Music and Arts Festival has been hosted annually in Muntinlupa. The location of this venue is in the Filinvest City Events Grounds, situated in the heart of the Alabang district. The event hosts various bands, that range from international to homegrown artists, and live art performances.

Muntinlupa is also home to 19 East, a premier live music venue that features the country's top artists.[34] Gigs usually occur on a daily basis, suggesting that any given day would guarantee customers a lively experience.

The Sucat Thermal Power Plant in 2015.

The sole distributor of electricity in Metro Manila is the Manila Electric Company, also known as Meralco.

The de-commissioned Sucat Thermal Power Plant is located at Sucat.

Water is provided Maynilad Water Services also known as Maynilad is a water and waste water services provider of cities and municipalities of the National Capital Region that forms the West Zone and some parts of Cavite. It is one of the two concessionaires that provide water to Metro Manila in the Philippines, the other one is Manila Water which serves the East Zone.

Majority of the land-line connection is provided by phone carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. Mobile telecommunication services are mostly provided by Globe Telecom, Smart Communications & Sun Cellular.

Jeepney on the National Road (Daang Maharlika) in Putatan. Jeepneys serve as a main mode of transportation in Muntinlupa.

City buses with routes passing through EDSA to Quezon City, Navotas, or Valenzuela serve the two terminals at Alabang, the Alabang Integrated Bus Terminal at Starmall Alabang, and South Station at Filinvest City. Provincial buses to Batangas City, Lucena, Quezon, and Bicol Region also depart from Alabang.

Jeepneys routes to General Mariano Alvarez, Calamba, and Pasay, including express services, also use the terminals at Alabang.

Tricycles and pedicabs serve the interior of barangays and residential areas.

"360 Eco-loop" is Filinvest City's fully integrated electric-powered public transport system operated by Filinvest as the main mode of transportation around the 244-hectare Filinvest City, Muntinlupa.[35] "electric-Jeepney Ride for Free" is launched by the City Government of Muntinlupa on March 30, 2015 it is composed of an initial fleet of 10 e-jeepneys produced in the Philippines.[36][37]

Philippine National Railways has 3 stations in the city: Sucat, Alabang, and Muntinlupa (Barangay Poblacion) Stations. There used to be a 4th and 5th stations in Barangay Tunasan and Barangay Buli; however, both were discontinued to be used and demolished in 2009. Alabang station is the terminus of the Metro Commuter services so only the Provincial Commuter services that goes to Calamba City that stops in the Muntinlupa station which is currently 2 Northbound trips in the morning and 2 Southbound trips in the evening. Service southward to Alabang has resumed, but limited to Mamatid station in Mamatid, Cabuyao, Laguna.

Maharlika Highway (National Road) in Tunasan

Muntinlupa is served by expressways, national highways, and arterial roads, usually crowded.

National highways serving the city include Maharlika Highway, which parallels the South Luzon Expressway and functions as the city's main artery and Alabang-Zapote Road, formerly known as "Real Street". Daang Hari Road, opened in 2003, lies on the boundary with Las Piñas near Ayala Alabang, Katarungan Village, and New Bilibid Prisons.

View of a portion of South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at Bilibid area, Muntinlupa as of April 2015

Expressways passing through Muntinlupa include South Luzon Expressway, a part of the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26) Luzon route, the elevated Skyway, and the Muntinlupa–Cavite Expressway. A proposed expressway, Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike, is being planned to run along Laguna de Bay from Taguig in Metro Manila to Calamba and Los Baños in Laguna.

Arterial roads serve as the main route from the national roads to the barangays and its residential and commercial areas. Few examples of those roads include Commerce Avenue between Alabang and Ayala Alabang, Corporate Avenue in Filinvest City, Alabang, E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in Poblacion, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue in Tunasan, San Guillermo Street in Putatan, and Manuel L. Quezon Avenue from Alabang to Sucat and to the Taguig city boundary. The arterial roads are usually narrow, crowded with tricycles, pedestrians, and parked vehicles, and has few or no sidewalks, while a few, like Commerce Avenue, which has wide divided roads with traffic lights and sidewalks.

• Muntinlupa National High School is a public high school located at Poblacion, Muntinlupa. MNHS also has a special curriculum, the Science Technology and Engineering or STE (formerly ESEP), that prepares students for careers in Science and Technology, Math, and Communication Arts.
• Muntinlupa Science High School or MunSci, is a special public high school in the City of Muntinlupa, Philippines that provides a technical and science curriculum that aims to prepare students for careers in Science and Technology, Math, and Communication Arts.[38] Nihongo and French classes are also offered to students. Classes are taught by teachers from the Japanese and French embassies.
• Pedro E. Diaz High School, formerly Annex of Fort Bonifacio College (FBC), is a public high school located at UP Side Subd., Alabang, Muntinlupa.
• Muntinlupa Business High School, formerly known as Pedro E. Diaz High School Annex, is located at Espeleta St., Buli, Muntinlupa. The school makes education more accessible to students residing at Barangay Buli, Cupang and Sucat. MBHS offers a curriculum focused on preparing its graduates into vocational and collegiate degree.
• Tunasan High School, also known as Muntinlupa National High School-Tunasan Annex, is the newest public high school, established in m 2012 which caters Technical Vocational Courses, TVL Maritime and Humanities and Social Sciences under Academic Track and Grades 7-10 of K-12 curriculum.

• Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa The establishment of a local university in the municipality started as a dream of former Mayor Ignacio Bunye who viewed education as potent tool for transforming society for the better. Upon his assumption of office in 1986, he included the objective of organizing and establishing an institution of higher learning in the Ten Point Agenda of his administration.[39] Former Dean Enrico Vivar led the movement to convert the Muntinlupa Polytechnic College into a local university. Atty. Raul R. Corro, then Councilor and Chairman of the Committee on Education, sponsored City Ordinance No. 03-089 converting the Muntinlupa Polytechnic College to a Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMun) in March 2003 during the 67th session.[40] The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa is now ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED by the BRS Rim of the World Operations in California, USA. PLMun was awarded its Certification on April 27, 2015 at the City Hall Quadrangle of the City Government of Muntinlupa.

• Muntinlupa City Technical Institute MCTI offers technical vocational-training of TESDA Accredited Courses.[41] Courses offered in MCTI are Automotive Servicing NC II, Building Wiring Installation NC II, Dressmaking NC II, Food & Beverage Services NC II and Massage Therapy NC II.[42]

• ALS Center Bayanan, formerly Bayanan Elementary School Unit I, conducts Alternative Learning System classes during Saturdays and uses modules that students can answer at home. This program will help them finish secondary education to make them eligible to take courses offered by TESDA or be a college graduate. They will be given certificates by the Department of Education (DepEd) once they finish the program in five months. The project is being implemented by the local DepEd office in coordination with the city government.[43][44]
• NBP Alternative Learning System is 10-month course offered by the Department of Education (DepEd). Convicts are given a chance to overcome illiteracy or acquire livelihood skills behind bars.[45] This program is made possible by the coordination of Bureau of Corrections with the Department of Education.