INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The number coding scheme in Metro Manila will now be lifted from March 27 to 29, as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) added Holy Wednesday to its memo suspending the implementation of the rule.
The MMDA updated its previous announcement suspending the number coding scheme in the capital region on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in anticipation of a likely Holy Week travel rush after Malacañang announced that government work would be on a half-day, or only until noon, on March 27.
“There are no number coding schemes on Saturdays and Sundays,” the MMDA also said in a Facebook post on Holy Tuesday.
The number coding scheme takes effect from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday. Makati City and some areas in Manila, however, do not have window hours for deferred number coding.
On Holy Monday, MMDA head Don Artes said provincial buses will be allowed to pass through Edsa from March 26 to April 2.
Specifically, he explained, provincial buses may travel along Edsa from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on March 26 and April 2 and 24 hours a day from March 27 to April 1.
Artes said they would let provincial buses use Edsa during this period to allow faster turnaround times and serve more passengers during the Holy Week break.
He added that the MMDA would deploy 2,274 traffic and emergency personnel along major roads and convergence points such as airports, terminals, and seaports in the capital region during the period.
Also, in line with government efforts to ensure smooth and safe travel during the Holy Week break, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has approved special permits for select public utility vehicles to allow them to ferry commuters beyond their approved routes for the duration of the peak travel season.
An influx of Filipino travelers is usually anticipated during Holy Week, as they take advantage of the extended holiday to visit provinces while commemorating the Catholic Church’s most sacred week in the liturgical year, which recalls the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.