On May 4,2000, the mayor and chief executive of Staffanstorp, Sweden visited the City of Muntinlupa as part of the process in the planned sister city agreement between the two great places.
Staffanstorp Mayor Nils Ove Nactensson and Chief Executive Miomir Serbinson met with Former Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi and other city officials to discuss forging bilateral relations between their respective local governments.An audio-visual presentation about Muntinlupa, its culture and peoplewas presented before the foreign visitors and officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government DILG). Since then, Staffanstorp and Muntinlupa have formally agreed to have a twinning agreement to pursue solutions for sustainable urban community and promote good local governance and democracy. At that time Staffanstorp is an agricultural town in Sweden with a population of about 20,000 while Muntinlupa has about 400,000 inhabitants. On August 22, 2000, then Mayor Fresnedi with City Administrator Henry Reyes, City Treasurer Nelia Barlis, Tourism Office Head James Arriola and Muntinlupa Education Superintendent Dr. Alma Bella O. Bautista flew to Staffanstorp, Sweden to visit and see for themselves what the place is all about. This was the second time that Muntinlupa will have a sister city. In 1994, Muntinlupa forged a sister-city agreement with Gunma town in Japan. Former Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi (center) with (from left) DILG Bureau of Local Government System Helen Macatangay,Staffanstorp Chief Executive Miomir Serbinson, Staffanstorp Mayor Nils Ove Martenson and Muntinlupa City Administrator Henry A. Reyes during the visit of Swedish officials to Muntinlupa City on May 4. (Photo courtesy of P.I.O.)