MMDA: Avoid traffic, return to Manila before Nov. 5

MANILA, Philippines — Anticipating the mass return to Manila after All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) told commuters and motorists to avoid heavy traffic on Monday by coming back early.  

Bong Nebrija, supervising operations officer of MMDA, said the best way to avoid the traffic after Undas is by returning to Manila before Nov. 5.  

“(Traffic) cannot be worse than before because some have returned to Manila after Undas but we cannot be complacent. We will prepare for the worst case scenario,” Nebrija said. 

The MMDA will deploy over 2,200 personnel to monitor gridlock-prone areas, especially at bus terminals and loading and unloading areas on EDSA, Nebrija said.

Starting tomorrow, Nebrija said MMDA personnel will be deployed on a 24-hour basis, which means that the “no absent, no day off, no leave” policy will be implemented until Nov. 5. 

In an advisory, the MMDA also warned the public of heavy traffic in eight main thoroughfares due to repairs by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). 

The MMDA said all southbound lanes on C5, which include the lanes after Lanuza Avenue and second outermost lane near SM Aura, will be closed to traffic as well as the third southbound lane on EDSA-Scout Albano. 

The second northbound lane along EDSA, before Oliveros footbridge, will also be closed to motorists as well as the northbound lane on Roosevelt Avenue, southbound lane on West Avenue and northbound lane on Visayas Avenue.  

On Commonwealth Avenue, the stretch near the pedestrian footbridge along N. Zuzuaregui Street will be closed to traffic. 

The MMDA explained said the DPWH started road repairs last night and will finish by Monday morning. 

Aside from the DPWH roadwork, the MMDA said the pavement restoration of the Manila Water Co., which also started last night, will cause heavy traffic in the southbound lane on C5 until Monday morning. 

With the generally peaceful observance of Undas, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is downscaling its alert status from full to heightened today.

Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr., PNP spokesman, said the full alert status that the police leadership declared on the eve of Undas will be in effect until 6 a.m. today.

Police Director Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, director of the PNP-National Capital Regional Police Office (PNP-NCRPO), is set to order the downscaling of the alert status in Metro Manila today.

At least 23,000 small Philippine flags were placed on the tombs of fallen soldiers at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in honor of their sacrifice and service to the country. 

Soldiers, Boy and Girl Scouts and students placed the flags to remember the heroes and martyrs on Oct. 31.

Offering prayers for the dead in churches during Undas means that for this month their names would be included in mass intentions. 

“This is the reason why the lists are placed at the foot of the altar of the church because the intention of the masses for the month of November is for the dead (souls in purgatory),” Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Laity chairman Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo yesterday said.

Pabillo added that while people are encouraged to visit the cemeteries during Undas, offering prayers is more important than visiting the dead. –  With Jaime Laude, Michael Punongba-yan, Evelyn Macairan