SMC expressways go toll-free for holidays

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corp. will waive toll across the SMC expressway network on Christmas and New Year’s Eves.

The toll holiday will cover all SMC-operated expressways: the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, South Luzon Expressway, STAR Tollway and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

Tolls will be waived from 10 p.m. on Dec. 24 to 6 a.m. on Dec. 25, and from 10 p.m. on Dec. 31 until 6 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026.

The move is intended to benefit motorists traveling late at night to reach their families during the holidays, according to SMC Infrastructure.

Safety and security personnel of SMC have been placed on heightened alert and measures rolled out to manage the expected surge in traffic during the holidays.

Emergency response teams are on standby to quickly clear any road obstructions.

SMC Infrastructure said traffic monitoring centers across its expressways are staffed around the clock to monitor traffic conditions and coordinate with emergency responders.

To help ease congestion, roadworks that may affect traffic flow have been suspended from Dec. 20 until Jan. 4, 2026.

SMC Infrastructure has advised motorists to plan their trips ahead, allow extra travel time and ensure sufficient balance in their Autosweep accounts to avoid delays at toll plazas.

NAIA passenger traffic

Meanwhile, airport operator New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) expects higher passenger traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Passenger volume at NAIA is seen to increase by about five percent or around 2.55 million from Dec. 20 to Jan. 4, 2026.

As traffic is expected to rise across all terminals, NAIA is also forecasted to handle over 13,700 flights, exceeding last year’s holiday levels.

On Dec. 20, NNIC reported that 171,306 passengers passed through the country’s main gateway, the highest single-day passenger volume in the airport’s history.

Flight activity also reached a record high, with 950 movements registered on that day.

Accounting for more than half of the total passenger volume was Terminal 3, which handled over 90,000 passengers, the largest among all NAIA terminals.

The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) is expecting an exodus of passengers today.

Jason Salvador, PITX corporate and government relations head, assured last-minute travelers that trips remain available at PITX.

Over three million passengers are expected to flock to PITX during the holiday season. — Rudy Santos, EJ Macababbad