MANILA, Philippines — The expanded number coding scheme will be suspended on February 9 for the celebration of the Chinese New Year, as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Wednesday.
The Chinese New Year for this year falls on Saturday, February 10.
READ: Marcos: Feb. 9 a special non-working day for Chinese New Year
READ: What to know about Lunar New Year Celebrations in PH
READ: Chinese New Year: What’s in store for the Year of the Wood Dragon?
But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared Friday, February 9, a special non-working day in the country to celebrate the holiday.
It was announced through Proclamation No. 453, issued on January 19.
“Regardless of the destination, always remember: plan the trip, obey traffic laws, and drive carefully,” the MMDA said in a Facebook post in Filipino.
The number coding scheme prohibits vehicles from traveling on Metro Manila roads based on the last digit of their license plates during the specified coding hours:
- 1 and 2 are covered on Mondays
- 3 and 4 on Tuesdays
- 5 and 6 on Wednesdays
- 7 and 8 on Thursdays
- 9 and 0 on Fridays
Since August last year, the MMDA has enforced the expanded number coding scheme but only during the morning and evening rush hours on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Local governments in Metro Manila may have modifications to the hours the coding scheme is implemented.