Metro Briefs

Heavy traffic on Edsa blamed on mall sale

Motorists were caught in heavy traffic on Edsa and other major thoroughfares Saturday but not because of rains induced by Typhoon “Lando.” Oscar de la Cruz of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Metrobase said traffic was slow-moving from Edsa-Taft to Edsa-Ortigas because of a weekend sale at a mall in Mandaluyong. “Many wanted to go to the mall but the parking [area] was already full so [vehicles] spilled over to Edsa,” De la Cruz said. On the northbound lane of Edsa from Edsa-Ortigas toward Quezon City, traffic was light to moderate around 1 p.m. At Edsa-Taft, traffic was free-flowing on the northbound lane from the Heritage Hotel onward although there was a slight buildup from Magallanes until Guadalupe. De la Cruz, meanwhile, attributed the heavy traffic on the southbound lane of Edsa from Taft to Baclaran to ongoing construction work near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He also reported a buildup in vehicular flow on Marcos Highway near the Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall due to the Light Rail Transit extension project. Kristine Felisse Mangunay

Biometrics validation set in San Juan Sunday

The San Juan Civilian Volunteers (SJCV), with the San Juan Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the city’s barangays, will hold a “No Bio, No Boto” biometrics validation for voters at the Kabayanan Barangay Hall from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 18. The biometrics validation is a requirement for voting in the May 2016 elections and falls under the purview of Commission on Elections Resolution No. 15-0655. There will be free coffee, said Wenceslao Vinzons Tan, SJCV chair.