Number coding or the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program will be suspended in Metro Manila from April 6 to April 10, 2023, the Metropolitam Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has confirmed.
April 6 (Maundy Thursday) marks the start of the Holy Week holidays, while April 10 is the celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan.
Apart from the number coding suspension, the agency will also have other measures in place to facilitate transport during the upcoming holidays.
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Beginning April 3, the MMDA will set up a multi-agency command center (MACC) at Metrobase. It will be assisted by representatives from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and local government units. Bus terminals, in particular, will be monitored by the MACC to manage the influx of passengers traveling to and from the metro. Terminal inspections will also be conducted before the Holy Week.
“Through this inter-agency action center, we can monitor real-time updates on bus terminals across Metro Manila to ensure safer travel of the commuting public and orderly traffic flow in our roads as we observe the Holy Week,” said MMDA acting chairman Romando Artes.
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In addition, Oplan Metro Alalay Semana Santa 2023 will also see the deployment of 2,104 personnel on major thoroughfares and transport hubs as well as key areas in Metro Manila beginning April 8. The MMDA will implement a ‘No Day Off, No Absent Policy’ among its personnel on April 5, 6, and 10, when traffic congestion is expected to peak.
The agency will focus on monitoring the main Metro Manila entry and exit points (North Luzon Expressway, South Luzon Expressway, Coastal Road, McArthur Highway, Marcos Highway, Mindanao Avenue, and A. Bonifacio) and the big churches frequented for Visita Iglesia (Redemptorist Church in Parañaque, Santo Domingo in Quezon City, San Agustin in Intramuros, and Quiapo Church in Manila).
Finally, help desks will be set up in select areas in Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, and Pasay, and ambulance units and tow trucks will be on standby along key areas in Metro Manila.
As a reminder for those traveling by car this Holy Week, we have also come up with a list of items you should have with you on your road trip. Check it out here. For those staying put in Metro Manila over the holidays, take note that rail services will be suspended.
