Munti sends volunteer team to adopted Leyte towns

Call it an early Christmas gift.

A total of 30 volunteers from various departments, including health, rescue, and relief workers from the City of Muntinlupa will be visiting this week the “adopted” towns of Alangalang and Jaro in Leyte as the first step in the rebuilding of places hit hard by super typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan).

Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi and Rep. Rodolfo Biazon will be leading the contingent to assess the needs of the towns and determine what the City can do as part of the rebuilding effort.

“We believe that in the spirit of Christmas, the best gift we can give our kababayan in Leyte is the gift of hope,” Fresnedi said. “It is our privilege to be part of the rehabilitation of Alangalang and Jaro because the people of Muntinlupa have the opportunity to be part of a lasting legacy—the rebuilding of lives.”

Volunteers from the Ospital ng Muntinlupa, City Health Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, Rescue, and other related departments will be bringing relief goods and will conduct a survey of the affected towns. The aim of the visit is to establish a command post and communications point through which the towns can coordinate aid coming from the City as well as other sources.

According to Mayor Rolando Celebre of Jaro and Mayor Loreto Yu of Alangalang, urgent needs include clothes, food, medicines, generator sets, and heavy-duty chain saws to speed up clearing operations and restore normalcy to the hard-hit areas.

Fresnedi is encouraging the participation of the private sector as well as civic groups in the rebuilding of the two towns. A dedicated account is being set up to receive donations from Muntinlupeños abroad, while the sister-city of Takasaki is setting up arrangements to send help as well.

Munti foregoes Christmas merriment for Yolanda victims

“Hugti ang pagtuo (Keep the faith).”

This is the message Muntinlupeños want to send to all Visayans affected by the destruction of typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), as the City chose to forego its annual Christmas celebration for this year.

Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi announced that the City will instead channel its efforts towards helping with the rebuilding of shattered towns and communities in the Visayas, particularly two towns in the province of Leyte.

“We urge our kababayan in the Visayas, hugti ang pagtuo—keep the faith and do not give up. Help is on its way,” Fresnedi said. “We Muntinlupeños understand what you are going through and we will do what we can to help you stand again.”

According to Fresnedi, Muntinlupa will be involved in the rehabilitation of the towns of Alang-alang with a total population of 46,000 and Jaro with a total population of 39,000. The province was among the places which bore the full fury storm and winds in excess of 300kph spawned by “Yolanda.”

The City will take these two towns under its wing through an “adopt-a-town” program, details of which will be worked out through a resolution from the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Fresnedi is aware that the rebuilding effort will take time and may present a challenge to the City’s available resources. “We will ensure that we have enough for our City, and we are confident because our partnership with the private and business sector will be instrumental in improving the lives of Muntinlupeños as well as our kababayan in the Visayas,” he said.

“As Muntinlupeños, we can’t just sit and celebrate, while our fellow Filipinos are suffering. We are a people of action, and having no Christmas program is one way of helping them and showing our support,” Fresnedi added.

Munti city gov’t working double time for a safer City

The Muntinlupa City Government is working double time, especially with the onset of the Christmas, to keep Muntinlupeños safe and secure as they go about their everyday routines.

This is in line with Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi’s directive to the various executive agencies to ensure a safer City conducive to economic growth and social stability.

“Of course we want a safer City so that people can freely go about and enjoy their lives,” Fresnedi said. “Add to this the fact that a peaceful City encourages the growth of business which in turn fuels the City Government perform its functions better.”

Among the agencies participating in this drive are the City Government’s quick response teams, which are deployed by City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela in strategic areas to perform various functions. Recently they were able to apprehend a significant number of motorcycle riders who did not wear their helmets while driving.

Cachuela has recently reiterated the importance of the City’s Helmet Law and has continuously reminded law enforcers and especially employees of the City Government to abide by the ordinance.

Other activities of the City’s quick response teams in the last few weeks include ensuring the safety of visiting delegates to Muntinlupa from other places, assisting enforcers in ensuring smooth traffic flow in the City’s thoroughfares, participating in cleanup activities, and apprehending illegal barkers and dispatchers.

Munti looks to stronger City after Peaceful Barangay Polls

With the barangay elections done and the winners proclaimed, Muntinlupa City is now buckling down back to work and gearing up for more exciting events and fruitful programs.

“The people have voted, and our Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recognized those chosen by the people,” Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi said. “It is now time for us to set aside differences and work to bring development down to the community level.”

Among those proclaimed by Comelec to head the nine Muntinlupa barangays are Allen F. Ampaya of Poblacion, Danilo R. Teves of Putatan, Mamerto T. Sevilla Jr. of Sucat, Adorado San Pedro of Bayanan, Walter Arcilla of Tunasan, Ricardo Cole of Buli, Ariel Gonzaga of Alabang, Ruben Baes of Ayala Alabang, and Celso Dioko of Cupang.

Fresnedi likewise thanked the candidates as well as the people of the barangays for working to keep the recent polls peaceful, despite one barangay being recognized by the Southern Police District as a potential hotspot. “Muntinlupeños have done their best to make the democratic process work, and as such, our elected barangay officials should do their best to empower their respective constituencies properly,” Fresnedi added.

One of the current thrusts of the City Government is to strengthen barangays at the community level. Fresnedi is presently working with the National Housing Authority through the Socio-Economic Development Tri-Sectoral Council, a collaborative effort aiming to build self-sustaining communities such as the SouthVille 3 housing project in Poblacion.

Fresnedi is likewise encouraging barangay real property owners to avail of the ongoing tax amnesty and set their records straight. “It would be better for our barangays if our taxpayers pay their obligations dutifully,” he said.

With the elections over and the Christmas season fast approaching, Muntinlupeños can expect more programs from the City Government in conjunction with the barangays. “The challenge then is for our officials to fulfill their mandate to the best of their abilities. We should do this while honoring the trust given to us by the people, as elected officials,” Fresnedi added.

Munti Police accost suspected “drug dad”

Talk about a distorted view of like father, like son.

Muntinlupa Police were able to accost a father who allegedly taught his son to peddle drugs after shadowing him for some time and obtaining a warrant for his arrest.

“This is not what a father should teach his son to do, to live a life of crime,” Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi said as he berated the suspect, Ernesto Oriol of Pablo Ramos Compound in Almanza I, Las Piñas City, as the latter was presented to the Mayor by the police.

Police forces were able to act on a tip that Oriol was allegedly teaching his son to peddle drugs in their neighborhood, and after a period of investigation, were able to obtain a warrant for his arrest.

“Alam ko naman pong bawal ang magtulak ng droga kaya tinuruan ko na lang po ang anak ko (I know peddling drugs is illegal so I just taught my son to do it instead),” Oriol said when confronted by the Mayor.

Oriol is currently held by the Muntinlupa Police and is charged of violating Sections 15 and 16 of Article III of the Dangerous Drugs Act for his actions.

METRO Alabang Supermarket awarded Best Business Practice Award

METRO Alabang Supermarket was recently conferred the Best Business Practice Award by the City of Muntinlupa in simple rites attended by officials from the METRO Retail Group and Muntinlupa City.

Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi conferred the citation to METRO Alabang Supermarket in recognition of the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Certifications received by the supermarket from SGS Philippines.

METRO Alabang Supermarket is the first and only store in the Philippines to receive the GMP and HACCP Certifications which covers the supermarket’s fresh produce handling process from receiving, storage, to the dispatch of goods to its customers.  SGS certified that METRO Alabang Supermarket complied with all the requirements of the audit standard and has the needed structure to support implementation and maintenance of international food safety management systems.

“This award is not just an honor to METRO Alabang but a testament to the level of commitment this company has in raising the standards in food safety management in the country,” Fresnedi said. “We are very fortunate that this company is looking after the health and welfare of Muntinlupeños.”

Fresnedi is pleased that METRO Alabang is not only recognized internationally for its world-class practices, but that, as a local establishment, it is also a testament to the City Government’s desire for excellence. “We in the local government continue to improve our services so that we can be at par with world-class companies such as METRO Alabang. We do this not for the recognition but in the belief that Muntinlupeños deserve nothing short of the best in public service,” Fresnedi added.

The METRO Retail Group is currently taking a quality oriented, customer-driven approach to deliver an improved and affordable assortment of products and services. The company is also gearing up for aggressive expansion in different store formats particularly department stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and neighborhood stores.

“We celebrate this award as METRO Supermarket has always strived to adhere to best business practices through the implementation of policies that demonstrate a commitment to customers by showing extreme attention to food and health safety management. METRO is a retail organization that demonstrates unique and inventive practices, products, and procedures. Thus, encouraged by this citation, the METRO Retail Group will continue to work on delivering an improved and affordable assortment of products and services that will meet the needs of its customers”, stated Eduardo C. Ponce, METRO Retail Group president and COO.