I recently visited Muntinlupa City Hall to take a close look at the Christmas decorations that were set up. Check out what I photographed and posted below for you to see. I hope you will enjoy the images.
The high Christmas decoration at the front of Muntinlupa City Hall recalling Lord Jesus as an infant who was visited by the Three Kings.
The very tall and highly decorated outdoor Christmas tree at the front of City Hall.
Check out the decorations at the exterior of this store inside City Hall.
A very artistic Christmas tree by the City Hall stairs.
Even this pillar got heavily decorated.
To put things in perspective, the decorations and tall Christmas tree outdoors were officially set up weeks ago. In fact, the City Government formally lighted the outdoor Christmas tree on the evening of November 15, 2024. You can watch it via the City Government’s social media posts by clicking here and here.
A closer look at the outdoor Christmas tree at City Hall.
If you wish to visit Muntinlupa City Hall, go visit their building along National Road (referred to by Google Maps as Manila South Road or Manila S. Road). For the precise Google Maps location of Muntinlupa City Hall, click https://maps.app.goo.gl/1GgJgaEGkshMvANu7
When celebrating Christmas wherever you are, always remember that Christmas is truly all about Lord Jesus who is our Savior and the Hope of ALL nations.
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Today is the first day of December. Not only does this reminds us that 2024 is coming to an end, it is also a reminder that Christmas is nearing. That being said, today is also the final day of the 2024 Christmas bazaar of Alabang Hills Village Association (AHVA) and there is still time for you to buy items for gift-giving.
The AHVA’s Christmas bazaar officially launched on the morning of November 29 at the Phase 2 park using the two covered courts – one covered court has the many sellers of assorted goods (bags, clothes, household items, toys, decorations and more) and the other has the small businesses that sell different types of food and beverages. The two covered courts are located along Legaspi street.
This image shows some of the many sellers at the covered basketball court at the Phase 2 park inside Alabang Hills Village. A wide variety of items are being sold here.
Something caught the attention of many at this particular booth.
The smaller covered court is where the food and beverages are being sold.
Meanwhile, there are other sellers of clothing and assorted items occupying spaces in close proximity to Don Jesus Boulevard. For the newcomers reading this, the office of the AHVA is located along Don Jesus Boulevard.
A few of the other sellers occupying spaces in close proximity to Don Jesus Boulevard.
If you are located within Alabang or in the nearby BF Homes communities, if your car has a valid AHVA sticker, and if you need to buy products for Christmas gift-giving, I encourage you to take the opportunity to visit the Alabang Hills Village Christmas bazaar today. The bazaar will end tonight at 9PM.
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, water concessionaire Maynilad confirmed that its 1.6 billion water reclamation is on track to start fully operating by the end of this year and it will serve more than thirty thousand residents in four barangays in the city, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Maynilad Water Services announced that its water reclamation plant in Muntinlupa is nearing completion and will be fully operational by year-end.
Built at a cost of P1.6 billion, the Cupang Water Reclamation Facility and sewer conveyance system are located in Barangay Cupang, Muntinlupa.
It said it is now preparing for the testing and commissioning of the facility, which was designed to treat up to 46 million liters of wastewater per day.
The plant uses the conventional activated sludge technology to effectively remove pollutants from wastewater, contributing to a cleaner ecosystem.
When it becomes fully operational, the plant will serve about 33,000 customers in Barangays Sucat, Buli, Cupang, and Bayanan in Muntinlupa. The wastewater from the communities will be treated before it is discharged.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you think the new water reclamation facility of Maynilad will be very helpful in the years to come?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Next month, the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) stretch of Susanna Heights to Calamba will be wider and opened in time for the Christmas season as assured by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chairman and CEO Ramon Ang, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
The new configuration of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) from Susanna Heights, Muntinlupa to Calamba, Laguna — with six lanes on both the northbound and southbound sides —is expected to open in December in time for Christmas, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chairman and CEO Ramon Ang has said.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ang said the at-grade expansion on SLEX, undertaken by San Miguel unit SMC SLEX Inc., was “proceeding on schedule, with the said 29-kilometer stretch slated to open in the third week of December.”
The construction of the section from Calamba to Sto. Tomas, Batangas, and the expansion of 20 bridges connecting the SLEX main carriageway will be completed by July 2025, the SMC chief said.
“This December, as our countrymen prepare to celebrate Christmas and travel more to spend time with friends and family, they can look forward to a wider, better SLEX. This will help in significantly reducing traffic buildup during the holiday rush,” Ang said.
“The SLEX expansion is a major undertaking that entailed significant effort and investment, and a lot of patience and cooperation from motorists and stakeholders. We are very glad that motorists can soon enjoy faster trips to and from Southern Luzon,” he added.
Ang said that ensuring that SLEX is fully operational throughout the construction period has been a consistent priority of the company.
“Our contractors and project teams continue to do everything they can to minimize impact on vehicle traffic,” Ang said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you plan to travel far via the SLEX this coming Christmas season?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The City Government of Muntinlupa has new additions to its growing list of achievements as it won two awards at the Digital Democracy Awards, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government won at the first Digital Democracy Awards organized by the Makati Business Club (MBC) and sponsored by USAID Philippines and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Philippines.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, MBC Chairman Edgar Chua, and Department Of Information And Communications Technology Usec. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue presented the Digital Democracy Champion award to 14 city local government units for their exceptional implementation of Digital Democracy initiatives.
Muntinlupa is one of the 14 winners and it also received the Data Stewardship Award for its “responsible handling of citizen data and dedication to advancing smart city initiatives.”
The 14 LGUs that won and recognized as Digital Democracy Champions “for their dedication to advancing citizen participation and transparency in governance” are: 1. Cagayan de Oro City 2. Victorias City 3. Himamaylan City 4. Iligan City 5. Quezon City 6. Isabela City, Basilan 7. Masbate City 8. Tagbilaran City 9. Batangas City 10. Muntinlupa City 11. Naga City 12. San Fernando City, La Union 13. Tagum City 14. Zamboanga City
According to MBC, the awardees in key categories are:
People’s Participation Award: Quezon City for their “Usapang QC” initiative, which bridged communication gaps and engaged over 430,000 residents.
Citizen-Led Policy Award: Naga City for translating citizen feedback into impactful policies, exemplifying the power of participatory governance.
Leadership Award: Batangas City Mayor Beverley Rose Dimacuha, for her exceptional vision and hands-on leadership in advancing digital initiatives.
Outstanding Public Communication Award: Tagbilaran City for their innovative and creative communication strategies, including social media campaigns and community engagement efforts.
Data Stewardship Award: Muntinlupa City for their responsible handling of citizen data and dedication to advancing smart city initiatives.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you very happy to see the city get recognized again with new awards?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
To put things in perspective, there were a total of 96 cities nationwide that were named as awardees of the SGLG for 2024. Among those 96 cities, 14 were from the National Capital Region (NCR). Among the 14 NCR cities, two cities of South Metro Manila made it as awardees – Muntinlupa City and Las Piñas City.
Parañaque City was completely missing from the 2024 list which clearly means it was not an awardee at all. In order to win the SGLG award, the local government unit (LGU) must pass the DILG’s strict standards. For transparency, posted below are images of the lists of the 96 cities that made it as 2024 SGLG awardees.
For further transparency, displayed below is the full 2024 SGLG document from the DILG for your view. Feel free to download a copy.
All in all, there were a total of 714 SGLG awardees for 2024 covering the cities, municipalities and provinces around the country. The 2024 SGLG awardees list was signed by DILG Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla. The official Facebook page of SGLG posted below its message to the 2024 awardees:
Hats off to the 714 awardees of the 2024 Seal of Good Local Governance!
Your commitment to excellence in public service and dedication to the principles of good governance have set a remarkable standard for local leadership. Your unwavering dedication to serving the people is an inspiration to us all.
Going back to Parañaque, this is not the first time the city failed to become an SGLG awardee. In 2023 list of SGLG awardees, eleven NCR cities were named and the City of Parañaque was not among them. Look at the image below.
Now that Parañaque City is ending 2024 with a very bad CMCI finish and the failure to qualify for an SGLG award, one has to wonder what has the current City Government been doing with regards to public service, governance, financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, health compliance, public safety, peace and order, and more.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you satisfied with the way your Mayor and your City Government have been doing their jobs? Do you think it is time for the City Government to realize that other LGUs are more competitive and doing better jobs with regards to local governance? Do you think Parañaque City can still improve? Do these results affect your decision as to which local candidates would you vote for in the May 2025 local elections?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The City of Muntinlupa made it as an awardee of the 2024 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) as recorded in the official list of awardees that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) released online.
For 2024, there is a grand total of 714 SGLG awardees nationwide covering cities, municipalities and provinces. Among them are 14 National Capital Region (NCR) cities and Muntinlupa City is one of them.
For transparency, posted below is the 2024 SGLG list of awardees from the DILG. Feel free to download a copy.
It should be recalled that Muntinlupa City was also an SGLG awardee in previous years (click here, here and here).
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you very happy that Muntinlupa is once again an SGLG awardee?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In times of prosperity or hardship, Festival Mall (originally named Festival Supermall) in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City continues to attract families and shoppers. Since the mall’s early days in 1998, its amusement center X-Site kept on succeeding on attracting visitors and providing them bouts of varied fun in return to what the customers paid for. X-Site is a lively form of entertainment-focused capitalism that just keeps on moving forward and attracting visitors.
Located at the 3rd floor (note: officially referred to as the 2nd Level or 2L or 2nd Floor by the mall. The 1st floor and 2nd floor of the mall are referred to as Lower Ground Floor and Upper Ground Floor respectively), the X-Site Amusement Center has a wide floor space with a high ceiling.
The way it was designed, X-Site has several arcade games (lots of fun retro games included), merchandiser games, a virtual reality ride, KTV booths, motion-sensing dance spot, the ring toss, entertainment stores, indoor sports games, redemption games, bumper cars, and the indoor roller coaster (which explains the need of having a high ceiling). Watch below the YouTube video and the images I prepared below.
At the arcade games section inside X-Site.
Having a high ceiling made it possible to have an indoor roller coaster (tracks above the machines and people in this image). Other amusement centers in Alabang had lower ceilings which made their places feel small or tight when compared to X-Site.
Some newer machines plus indoor sports games added into the arcade games section.
This is the place for those who love dancing and music.
Back in 1998, I know a few friends whose had not even visited Festival Mall (at the time we talked) yet they already heard of the positive word-of-mouth feedback about the indoor roller coaster of X-Site.
The indoor roller coaster of X-Site remains a favorite ride for those who kept coming back.
On December 25, 2023, I visited Festival Mall to look around. I passed by X-Site and I saw an unusually large number of people there composed of young people, children and their parents/guardians.
For the newcomers reading this, December 25 here in the Philippines is a time of having fun during the Christmas season and also it is the day when the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) opens in cinemas. This explains why a lot of people spend time at the shopping malls and it is a cultural thing here in the Philippines.
Considering the fact that the original cinemas of Festival Mall have deteriorated leaving only 2 or 3 screens operating (note: the mall also has modern cinemas at the expanded side), a lot of people still visited the mall to watch the MMFF movies that opened on December 25. As for the large number of people who flocked to X-Site that same day, I can only speculate that some of them might have been moviegoers passing the time as they wait for the next screening of movies to watch.
I took this shot of X-Site on December 25, 2023. Look at the high number of people on the floor.
If you plan to visit Festival Mall in Alabang and if you are craving for fun rides or games, then you might want to visit X-Site Amusement Center.
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Very recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government started the distribution of Christmas packages covering roughly one hundred forty thousand (140,000) households, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Christmas came early for residents of Muntinlupa as the city government started the distribution of its Pamaskong Handog packs.
The Muntinlupa City government is targeting to distribute the Christmas packages to about 140,000 households in the city.
“Gusto nating bawat household sa Muntinlupa ay may celebration ngayong Pasko. Kaya tiniyak natin na lahat ng 140,000 households sa lungsod ay makakatanggap ng Pamaskong Handog (We want every household in Muntinlupa to have a celebration this Christmas. That is why we assure that all 140,000 households in the city will receive the Pamaskong Handog),” said Mayor Ruffy Biazon who led the distribution of the packages.
Each Pamaskong Handog package has three kilos of rice, a pack of 400 grams of spaghetti pasta, a pack of 900 grams of spaghetti sauce, a pack of 400 grams of elbow macaroni, a box of 113 grams of instant champorado, a can of 175 grams of corned beef, a can of 150 grams of meat loaf and a can of 85 grams of liver spread.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, have you contacted your local community officials about updates of Christmas packages coming in?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The City Government of Muntinlupa scored big recently during the 2024 Urban Governance Exemplar Awards held in Quezon City and organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The City Government took home nine awards.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government took home nine awards at the 2024 Urban Governance Exemplar Awards organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) at Novotel Manila on Oct. 28.
Muntinlupa won the following awards:
– Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Audit (High Functional)
– Peace and Order Council Performance Audit (High Performing)
– Local Council for the Protection of Children Functionality Audit (Ideal)
– Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children Functionality Audit (Highly Functional)
– Manila Bay Clean-Up Rehabilitation and Preservation LGU Compliance Assessment (Highly Compliant)
– Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (Exemplary Peformance)
– Manila Bay Clean-Up Rehabilitation and Preservation LGU Compliance Assessment (Top Performer ISF Cluster)
– Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children Functionality Audit (Top Performer)
– Local Council for the Protection of Children Functionality Audit (Top Performer)
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you happy with the many awards the City Government won?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Author Carlo Carrasco 