MMDA: Leave Metro Manila before Maundy Thursday

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday activated its "Operation Plan (Oplan) Metro Alalay Semana Santa" for the coming Holy Week as it advised motorists to leave the metro early for their trek to the provinces.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said motorists leaving for the provinces on Maundy Thursday might find themselves struggling with traffic jams as the Department of Public Works and Highways will be repairing and reblocking some portions of EDSA and the C-5 Road during that period.

“Iplano nang maayos huwag nang makipagsabayan sa reblocking and they should leave Metro Manila early," Tolentino said.

Tolentino said the DPWH road works would start at 12:01 am. on Maundy Thursday (April 2) and would finish by Easter Sunday (April 5). The MMDA has also suspended the “number coding” scheme on April 1 (Holy Wednesday), April 6 (Monday after Easter Sunday) and April 9 (Araw ng Kagitingan).

Affected by the reblocking and repair are the following:

(Southbound) - Along Mindanao Avenue from Road 8 to North Avenue (1st Lane), along E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue / C-5 between Poseidon St. and Greenmeadows Avenue (2nd lane from sidewalk), along EDSA between Connecticut to Guadalupe Bridge, Mandaluyong City, along EDSA from Guadalupe Station to Estrella Street (4th and 5th lanes), and along C-5 Road Pasig Blvd. to Bagong Ilog Service Road

(Northbound)- Along EDSA Guadalupe Bridge to Temple Drive, along C-5 Road from Valle Verde / Resins Inc. to SM Warehouse (2nd outermost lane), and along EDSA from Buendia to Escuela Street (4th and 5th lane).

MMDA Traffic Discipline Office (TDO) chief Crisanto Saruca said the agency’s Oplan Metro Alalay Semana Santa will be in operation until April 6 as the agency expects motorists to head back to Metro Manila.

Saruca said the MMDA will be posting traffic management and road rescue personnel at the various entry and exit points of Metro Manila at the North Luzon Expressway, the South Luzon Expressway, the Coastal Road, MacArthur Highway, Marcos Highway Mindanao Avenue and along A. Bonifacio Avenue.

According to Saruca, the MMDA has deployed 2,300 personnel to include 1,627 traffic enforcers and 300 from the agency’s sidewalk clearing group.

The MMDA, added Saruca, will also be posting personnel at the various Metro churches, seaports, airports and bus terminals.

Tolentino said bus terminals in Cubao, Pasay, Caloocan and at the Coastal Road would especially be checked by MMDA personnel armed with alcohol breath analyzers.

“We want to ensure that drivers of buses are not under the influence of alcohol before driving on the road bahagi lang ito sa paghahanda natin sa Semana Santa sa paglalakbay,” said Tolentino.