We’ve seen many cities in Metro Manila join the Car-free Sunday movement over the past few years. From Ayala Avenue in Makati, Gil Fernando in Marikina, and Tomas Morato in Quezon City, car-free Sunday streets are giving residents a safe space to walk, jog, bike, socialize, and enjoy outdoor spaces free of vehicular traffic.
Major cities outside Metro Manila have their own initiatives as well. In Baguio City, Session Road is pedestrianized on Sundays and during special occasions or events. Other areas like Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao have also adopted car-free areas for people to exercise safely outdoors.
Naga City in Camarines Sur was the latest to test out the carless Sunday initiative, transforming the popular foodie strip of Magsaysay Avenue into a car-free space for all Sundays of November 2025.
ALSO READ:
A closer look at all the 2025 Top Gear PH Magazine Car of the Year Awards winners
The Honda Civic RS e:HEV is Top Gear Philippines’ 2025 Car of the Year
The first Carless Sunday event took place on November 16 and had a huge turnout. Carless Magsaysay drew families, children, artists, and fitness groups from all over. The city tourism office said the first rollout transformed the area into a “vibrant community space” with fitness activities, street art, and chalk zones for children. The event along Magsaysay aimed to promote sustainable mobility and is being held in celebration of National Bike Month, National Children's Month, and National Clean Air Month.
The car-free area covered the stretch of Magsaysay Avenue from Balatas Road-Penafrancia-Dayangdang to Leon SA Aureus-Rotonda-Park St. Unlike other car-free Sunday programs, which usually hold their activities in the morning, the activities in Naga take place in the late afternoon to evening from 5-11pm.
During the event, families were encouraged to practice fitness activities, such as walking and jogging. One area was devoted to Zumba for kids and parents. In celebration of Bike Month, kids can enjoy guided bike lessons in a safe and friendly space. A child-friendly recreational zone was also set up to give a safe play area for kids.
Following the first carless Sunday program, city mayor and former Vice President Leni Robredo said the activity brought a strong sense of community.
“This is what we hoped Sundays in Naga would be—families strolling; children playing, learning to skate and ride a bike, drawing on the streets using colored chalks; musicians singing and playing music; artists painting murals and doing street art; pets joining the fun with their owners; vendors plying their trade; and friends spending time together along the stretch of Magsaysay Avenue,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
In an interview with state media, Robredo also said the strong turnout along the closed roads exceeded initial expectations. Thanking local offices and volunteers who organized the activity, she said the city will hold Carless Sundays for the rest of November 2025.
We happened to be in Naga City during the second run of Carless Magsaysay on November 23, and saw firsthand the sheer volume of people who came out to spend time with family and friends outdoors, which transformed the otherwise traffic-choked street into a fiesta-like atmosphere.
On one stretch, people were playing badminton in the middle of the road, practising gymnastics, and doing karate lessons. Little kids were skating and biking. Fur parents were out walking with their pets. There were people with strollers and elderly family members in wheelchairs joining the festivities. Kids and adults enjoyed chalk art on the road and mural painting on walls, with artists offering portrait and sketching sessions.
The high turnout was proof that people are really searching for safe outdoor spaces to walk and stroll, given the lack of large public parks.
The city will reportedly assess possible improvements after each rollout of Carless Sunday, with the last run for the month held on November 30, 2025.
As cited by GMA Regional TV, the city is open to expanding the program to other areas, including the Central Business District, especially during the busy Christmas season.
City Hall encouraged residents to join the weekly event, with dedicated areas for jogging and biking, walk zones, Zumba sessions, free bike lessons, and recreation areas until 11pm.
