MMDA deploys staff for 'Oplan Kaluluwa'

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday deployed its personnel at various bus terminals and ports in the metro to assist thousands of commuters making their annual trek to the provinces for the observance of All Saints’ Day on Sunday.

MMDA officer-in-charge Emerson Carlos said the deployment of personnel is part of the agency’s annual “Oplan Kaluluwa” that involves personnel from the agency’s Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group (SCOG).

Carlos said SCOG personnel would be helping passengers carry their baggage inside bus stations and ports using pushcarts.  

SCOG personnel will be deployed to help passengers at the Araneta Bus Terminal in Cubao, Quezon City and several bus terminals in Pasay, Carlos said.

“This will ensure the smooth flow of human and vehicular traffic particularly on areas where most bus terminals are located,” Carlos said.

Carlos said the MMDA personnel would be present at the ports and bus terminals until November 2 to assist returning passengers from the provinces.

Meanwhile, over 2,000 personnel from several operating units of the agency, including Traffic Discipline Office, Road Emergency Group, Task Force Illegal Terminal, Parking Discipline Group, Towing and Impounding Group will also be fielded to clear major roads and sidewalks and to ensure smooth flow of traffic for All Saints’ Day.

The priority traffic choke points are the bus terminals in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City; Edsa-Cubao; Edsa-Taft, and Sampaloc, Manila; Edsa-Balintawak, Dangwa and Mindanao Avenue.

Additional traffic personnel will also be deployed to the Southwest Integrated Provincial Terminal, which services public utility buses that ply the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas route.

For traffic monitoring, MMDA will field its “Agila 1” at the Araneta Center Bus Terminal on October 30 and 31 and at the Manila North Cemetery on November 1 and 2, and “Agila 2” at the South Cemetery on November 1 and 2.  Agila 1 and 2 are the agency’s mobile command centers, which are capable of sending real-time video footages to the MMDA’s Command and Communications Center in Makati City.

“I am appealing to the public for their utmost cooperation in order to guarantee a peaceful and orderly celebration of All Saints’ Day,” Carlos said.

“Oplan Kaluluwa” is an all-out effort of the MMDA, in coordination with other national government agencies and local government units in Metro Manila, to maintain order in the roads on All Saints’ Day and assist the public going to and from public cemeteries.