Speaking Out
FRIDAY (March 1) was a special holiday in Muntinlupa as it celebrated its 29th year as a city. This year's theme was all about moving forward towards becoming a smart city.
The day started with a special church service at 6:30 a.m. to thank everyone and bring the community together. Later in the morning, City and Maynilad officials unveiled a special commemorative manhole cover, representing how far the city had come and how strong it was.
To keep everyone healthy, the City Health Office, headed by Dr. Juancho Bunyi, led a medical mission at Barangay Sucat giving a chance for people to get important healthcare services. Leading up to cityhood day, two medical and dental caravans addressing the needs of persons with disabilities were held in Barangays Sucat and Bayanan. The caravans were made possible in cooperation with the city health office, Ospital ng Muntinlupa Rehab Medicine Unit, The Birthright Educators Foundation and HomeLab Medical and Diagnostic Services.
At the Sports Complex in Barangay Tunasan, a brand new baseball field opened, giving residents more places to have fun and stay active.
Later in the afternoon, the City feted its top 10 taxpayers for helping Muntinlupa grow, showing how important businesses were to the city.
The big moment of the day was the State of the City Address, held at the jampacked Muntinlupa Sports Center. Speaking before a huge audience of city officials, representatives of national offices present in Muntinlupa, especially the judiciary and the education sector, representatives of business, religious, civic groups and people’s organizations, Mayor Ruffy Biazon talked about the city's progress and plans for the future.
Mayor Biazon shared updates on how far Muntinlupa has come in important areas like livelihood, health, education, justice, environment, peace and order, and progress. He summed it up as "We've come a long way, but there's still a long road ahead." He talked about the city's achievements and gave credit to the previous Mayor, Congressman Jaime R. Fresnedi, for starting many important projects. Mayor Biazon also highlighted Muntinlupa's focus on using new technologies (like digital tools), protecting the environment, and making sure everyone is included in the city's progress.
Indeed, the anniversary was a time to look back on how much Muntinlupa had achieved in 29 years and to look forward to an even brighter future.
Muntinlupa City is currently governed by Mayor Biazon in close partnership with Congressman Jaime R. Fresnedi. Vice Mayor Artemio A. Simundac heads the Sanggunian Panglungsod composed of Councilor Raul R. Corro (Majority Floorleader), District 1 Councilors Rachael Katriel Ann C. Arciaga, Alexson V. Diaz, Valentino D. Niefes, Jedidiah R. Presnedi, Ivee Rhea Arciaga-Tadefa, District 2 Councilors Mark Lester M. Baes, Francis Ian “Ryan” T. Bagatsing, Arlene D. Hilapo, Cornelio M. Martinez , Rodolfo W. Moldez Jr., Marissa Cole-Rongavilla, Mamerto T. Sevilla, ABC representative Allen F. Ampaya, and SK Federation representative Jonas Angelo Abadilla.
Engineer Allan A. Cachuela is the city administrator.
Coadjutor Bishop Reynaldo Bunyi Getalado
Allow me to extend my congratulations and best wishes to Father Reynaldo Bunyi Getalado of Alabang, Muntinlupa, who was recently appointed by Pope Francis as the new coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
The Diocese of Rarotonga is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Suva in Fiji. It covers the Cook Islands, a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean associated with New Zealand. The diocese was established in 1966 and serves a population of around 14,000, with about 17 percent being Roman Catholics.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle serves as the pro-prefect of the section that oversees the area.
Fr. Getalado, born in 1959 in Muntinlupa City, earned his bachelor's degree in Zoology from Far Eastern University in Manila before joining the MSP. He underwent his philosophical and theological studies at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City and was ordained as a priest in 1988.
Over the years, he has served as a missionary in various places including Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Since 2014, he has been working as the Ecclesiastical Superior of the Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti.