From the viewing area on the 34th floor of the Insular Life Corporate Center in Alabang, the green patches that give Muntinlupa its "Emerald City" name spread out below you, and on a clear day Laguna de Bay closes the horizon to the east. Down at street level, the same city mixes office towers, a lakeside boulevard, and quiet corners of Poblacion where the pace drops.
Muntinlupa suits travellers who are already in Metro Manila and want a half-day or full-day detour south, or who are passing through on the way to Calabarzon. Most of the sights sit in or near Alabang, with a handful of worthwhile stops outside it that reward a short jeepney or tricycle ride.
This guide covers the places worth your time, ordered from the strongest, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Muntinlupa
1. Insular Life Corporate Center
This office complex on Corporate Avenue, just outside Festival Alabang, is built around glass-covered twin towers. Its draw for a visitor is the viewing area on the 34th floor, which gives you a high vantage over the city and its unusual spread of green space.
Go on a clear day so the view is not lost to haze, and combine it with a walk around Festival Alabang while you are in the area.
2. Museo ng Muntinlupa
A city-owned museum on Centennial Avenue in Laguerta, Tunasan, dedicated to Muntinlupa's history from its founding through to its cityhood. The exterior is eye-catching, shaped like a traditional fish trap.
It sits behind the Muntinlupa City Police Station, so use that as your landmark when you arrive.
3. Jamboree Lake
On Insular Prison Road in Poblacion, this is the Philippines' smallest lake, with a small viewing point where you can stop and take it in.
It is reachable by jeepney, which makes it an easy addition to a Poblacion leg of your day rather than a trip of its own.
4. Diocesan Shrine of St. Peregrine Laziosi
Also known as St. Peregrine Laziosi Parish, this 1980s-era church on KM 30 National Road in Tunasan is devoted to St. Peregrine Laziosi.
It stands beside Lyceum of Alabang, so you can pair the visit with the Tunasan stops on this list.
5. Bayanan Baywalk
Part of the city's lakeside development on Bautista Street in Bayanan, this area includes an elementary school, a park and a boulevard, and gives you a view of Laguna de Bay.
Note that the lake view is blocked by kangkong (water spinach) plantations, so come for the walk and the neighbourhood rather than an open-water panorama. It is reachable by tricycle from National Road.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Museo ng Muntinlupa on Centennial Avenue in Laguerta, Tunasan, to get your bearings on the city's history, then walk over to the Diocesan Shrine of St. Peregrine Laziosi on KM 30 National Road, which is beside Lyceum of Alabang.
Afternoon: Head to Poblacion by jeepney for Jamboree Lake and its small viewing point, then continue to Bayanan by tricycle from National Road for a walk along Bayanan Baywalk.
Evening: Finish in Alabang at the Insular Life Corporate Center on Corporate Avenue, just outside Festival Alabang, and take in the view from the 34th-floor viewing area.
Frequently asked questions
Where are most of Muntinlupa's sights concentrated?
Most of the sights are concentrated in Alabang, since much of the rest of Muntinlupa is residential suburb.
How do I reach the sights outside Alabang?
Jamboree Lake in Poblacion is reachable by jeepney, and Bayanan Baywalk is reachable by tricycle from National Road.
What can I expect to see at Bayanan Baywalk?
It is part of the city's lakeside development, with an elementary school, a park and a boulevard, and it provides a view of Laguna de Bay, though the view is blocked by kangkong plantations.
What is distinctive about the Museo ng Muntinlupa building?
Its exterior is eye-catching, being shaped like a traditional fish trap, and it is located behind the Muntinlupa City Police Station on Centennial Avenue in Laguerta, Tunasan.
Use these five stops to sketch your route, check how they sit relative to where you are staying, and start planning your day in Muntinlupa.