The 55,000-seater, INC-built venue in Bocaue, Bulacan INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Several roads will be partially used as parking lots by the thousands expected to converge north of the metropolis for the July 27 centennial celebration of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC).
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday warned motorists of a “spillover” of heavy traffic resulting from the arrival of INC members in buses and private vehicles from various parts of the country at the newly inaugurated Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan province.
MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said he expected INC members to start gathering at the 55,000-seat venue a day before the Sunday event.
They would be transported using as many as 10,000 buses and 2,400 vans and private vehicles, he said.
In an MMDA media briefing, Supt. Adriano Enong Jr., chief for operations of Police Regional Office 3, said Mindanao Avenue Extension in Quezon City and MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City, and some roads in Bulacan had been designated as parking spaces for the attendees.
Enong, whose unit is a member of Task Force Sentenaryo, said participants coming from the National Capital Region would be allowed to park on both sides of Mindanao and on one lane of the southbound stretch of MacArthur from Meycauayan to Valenzuela.
One southbound lane of the Bulacan stretch of MacArthur Highway, from Calumpit to Malolos, will be allotted for those coming from the Cordillera Autonomous Region.
One southbound lane of the Malolos-Tabang stretch of MacArthur Highway will used by those coming from Region 3.
One northbound lane of the Bocaue-Tabang stretch of MacArthur will be reserved by attendees from Region 1.
Participants from Region 2 can park their vehicles on a southbound lane of the Bocaue-Meycauayan stretch.
Those coming from the Visayas region can occupy one southbound lane of the Sta. Maria Bypass Road.
INC members from Region 4A can park on one southbound lane of the Balagtas Bypass Road, while those from Region 5 can use one southbound lane of of Doña P. Trinidad Highway, from Tabang to San Rafael.
In case of a traffic gridlock, Enong said a “zipper lane” would be opened to allow a counterflow on the opposite lane.
Tolentino said heavy traffic is likely to choke the Smart-Connect Interchange and the North Luzon Expressway going to Philippine Arena.
Aside from the 2,000-strong Metro Manila Public Safety Legion, which is composed of traffic marshals, rescuers and policemen coming from the 17 local government units in Metro Manila, Tolentino said 500 traffic personnel would also be deployed to assist the attendees.
They would augment the personnel to be provided by the Police Regional Office 3 and the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
These teams would be deployed starting in the morning of July 26 and up to the morning of July 28.
“With all these preparations and contingency measures, we can assure our brothers and sisters in the INC that their centennial celebration will be smooth and orderly,” Tolentino said.