Malls adjust operating hours for holidays

MANILA, Philippines - Large malls have agreed to adjust their operating hours to help ease traffic jams in Metro Manila during the holiday season, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said yesterday.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said it was agreed during yesterday’s meeting that the malls will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. except from Dec. 24 to 25 and from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1, 2015, during which the malls will be given a free hand on their operating hours.

Shopping malls are usually open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. They are sometimes open until midnight for certain sales promotions.

Tolentino said the increasing number of vehicles around malls contributed to the traffic jams all over the metropolis.

He said in cities like Bangkok and Singapore, malls have staggered operating hours to minimize traffic congestion in commercial areas.

The MMDA chairman said he will inform the Philippine National Police on the malls’ new operating schedules to ensure police visibility in these areas.