The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will reactivate starting March 28 (Wednesday) the Oplan Metro Alalay Semana Santa (Oplan MASS) with the deployment of almost 2,000 personnel to ensure the safety of motorists and commuters during this week’s Holy Week break.
Jojo Garcia, MMDA acting general manager, said the agency will deploy a total of 1,854 work force, composed of traffic enforcers, roadside-clearing group, anti-jaywalking, road-safety and towing personnel, among others, on major thoroughfares in the metropolis.
“While people are out on vacation, our personnel will be in full force this Holy Week starting this Wednesday,” Garcia said in a news briefing on Tuesday.
Identified areas of concern are the vicinity of bus terminals, seaports and north harbors, roads leading to airports, where the influx of passengers heading to their provinces is expected; and major churches, such as the Redemptorist Church, Quiapo Church, Santo Domingo Church, Saint Peter Church, Saint Pio Church, Las Piñas Church, Edsa Shrine, Manila Cathedral, San Dionisio Chapel, San Pedro Church, Santa Ana Church and San Sebastian Basilica Church.
Upon the orders of MMDA Chairman Danilo D. Lim, additional traffic personnel will be fielded on areas of concern and traffic chokepoint areas in the metropolis, including bus terminals.
“There will be no letup in the agency’s drive against illegally parked vehicles and obstructions on the road,” Garcia said.
Likewise, rescue and emergency personnel will set up posts along Ortigas Avenue and Marcos Highway, and assist devotees going to the pilgrimage site in Antipolo City.
The MMDA also declared a “no-day off and no-absent policy” for all traffic personnel, particularly on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, when traffic is expected to be heavy.
Meanwhile, the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, commonly known as number-coding scheme, will be lifted for city and provincial buses on Wednesday (March 28) and on Monday (April 2) to ferry passengers going to their provinces.
“This is to augment the transportation needs of the commuters as the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit suspend their operation for the Holy Week,” Garcia said.
For private vehicles, the number-coding scheme is lifted on Wednesday starting at 10 a.m. onward.
He ordered the traffic sector head managing traffic flow in Edsa to strictly enforce the yellow-lane policy, on the first two lanes from Edsa’s sidewalk designated only for public-utility vehicles.
Oplan MASS is reactivated in coordination with government agencies, such as the departments of Public Works and Highways and Transportation, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Office of Civil Defense and Metro Manila local government units.