The MMDA announced that malls in Metro Manila will change their operating hours starting November 17 to December 25. Monday through Friday, they will be open from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. This excludes weekends and holidays.
MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said that this was agreed upon with mall operators to alleviate holiday traffic. According to them, mall-wide sales will only be allowed on weekends.
For deliveries, it is only allowed from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM. At the same time, road excavation in the NCR will be stopped from November 17 to December 25 to avoid additional traffic.
Artes added that starting December 20, EDSA buses will be allowed to operate from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Additionally, from December 24 to January 2, 24-hour operation of buses will be allowed.
According to MMDA data, there are approximately 3.6 million vehicles daily in Metro Manila. During the holiday season, this increases by 10% to 20%, which is why the new schedule was implemented to ease the traffic congestion.
