MMDA, Makati suspend number coding Friday

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Makati City government on Wednesday said they are suspending the implementation of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or the “number coding” on Friday even though it has not been declared a public holiday.

The implementation of the UVVRP is lifted during weekends and during declared public holidays. The window hours of between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for "number-coded vehicles" is not observed in Makati City.

Under the UVVRP, vehicles with their license plates ending in 1 and 2 are not allowed in the Metro's streets on Mondays; 3 and 4 (Tuesdays), 5 and 6 (Wednesdays), 7 and 8 (Thursday) and 9 and 0 (Fridays). Exempted from the scheme are government vehicles, emergency vehicles, motorcycles, vehicles with diplomatic license plates and identified media vehicles.

In a traffic advisory released Wednesday afternoon, the MMDA said the UVVRP will be suspended starting October 30 only for provincial buses. The UVVRP’s coverage on all other vehicles will be lifted on Friday.

The MMDA also announced that there will be no re-blocking or road repairs allowed to be done across Metro Manila to make sure that the travel of motorists out of the metropolis to the provinces will not be hampered.

Meanwhile, the Makati City government also bared its traffic rerouting plan in line with the nation’s observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2, respectively.

Makati Public Safety chief Hermenegildo San Miguel said towing operations would also be suspended on Saturday and Sunday, while parking areas will be designated for cars and motorcycles for the convenience of those who will be visiting the departed in cemeteries located in the city.

Superintendent Jaime Santos, Makati Police Deputy Chief for Administration, said arrangements have been made between the city police and the Manila Police with regards to securing the Manila South Cemetery which is located in Makati’s Barangay Olympia. While the security inside the cemetery is the lookout of the Manila Police, the task of securing its outside perimeters falls on the Makati Police.

Santos said the Makati and Manila police departments have agreed to set-up advance command posts and police assistance centers, deploy bicycle patrols, undercover police officers,  explosives and ordnance teams, mobile security teams as well as road safety marshals.

Santos said the Makati police would also set up checkpoints in strategic areas around the cemetery to maintain security, as well as at its entrances to check for deadly weapons. There will also be foot and bike patrol details, and an assistance booth for missing children.

For his part, environmental services chief Danilo Villas gave assurance that regular garbage collection will continue throughout the observance of the religious tradition and that environmental police teams will be deployed to enforce the anti-littering ordinance. His office will assign street sweepers to work even after 5pm, and it will also conduct an orientation for vendors and food stall operators regarding the plastic ban being enforced in Makati.

Makati Rescue meanwhile will have stations at the Manila South Cemetery and at the Makati Municipal Cemetery (near entrance at Kalayaan) with around seven personnel each. The fire department, on the other hand, will deploy 40 personnel, a fire truck and an ambulance at its command post at South Avenue corner Metropolitan Avenue.

Some 129 Bantay Bayan personnel of barangays Valenzuela, Tejeros, Kasilawan, Carmona, Singkamas, Sta. Cruz and Olympia, together with volunteers will also be deployed as force multipliers.

The streets that will be closed starting midnight of October 31 until 12:00 am of November 2 are: Kalayaan Ave. (from Zapote to N. Garcia), South Ave. (from Metropolitan to J.P. Rizal), Vito Cruz Extension (from South Avenue to F. Zapote), N. Garcia (from Kalayaan to J.P. Rizal), Pililia (from J.P. Rizal to Kalayaan), and JB Roxas (from J.P. Rizal to Kalayaan Ave.).

Other streets to be closed during the same period include Kakarong (from J.P. Rizal to Metropolitan Ave.), Montojo (from South Avenue to Zapote), Yague (from South Avenue to Zapote St.), Panama St. (from South Avenue to Zapote St.), and Suez St. (from South Avenue to Zapote St.).

Meanwhile, two-way traffic will be allowed on J.P. Rizal (from Pasong Tirad to Makati Avenue), and Kalayaan Avenue (from F. Zobel to Makati Avenue, and from Pasong Tirad to Zapote). MAPSA traffic enforcers will guide motorists on the alternate routes in barangay Olympia. In the event that traffic volume in J.P. Rizal and South Avenue builds up, westbound (going to Manila) vehicles will be directed to turn right to Trabajo Street then turn left to Hipodromo Street towards A.P. Reyes Avenue.

On the other hand, one-way traffic will be implemented along Metropolitan Avenue, from South Avenue to Nicanor Garcia Street, and in N. Garcia St. from Metropolitan Ave./ Jupiter St. to Kalayaan Ave. Vehicles passing this route can turn right only in going to Makati Avenue. The rest of the roads leading to and from or within the vicinity of the three cemeteries will retain their usual traffic flow.

With the closure of certain streets, traffic will be rerouted as follows:  motor vehicles coming from Ayala Ave. Extension going to J.P. Rizal Ave. via South Avenue must turn left to Metropolitan Ave., then turn right to Zapote St. or Pasong Tamo towards destination.

Motorists from Jupiter going to Pasong Tamo via Metropolitan Ave. must turn left to Nicanor Garcia St, turn right to Buendia Ave., turn right to Ayala Ave. Extension, and left to Metropolitan Ave. towards destination.

Vehicles coming from Jupiter St. going to J.P. Rizal Ave. via N. Garcia St must turn right to Kalayaan Ave., left to Makati Ave., and left to J.P. Rizal Ave.

One-side parking will be allowed on the following streets: Kalayaan Ave. (from Reposo Street to Salamanca Street/ northside), N. Garcia Street/ Reposo (from Kalayaan to Metropolitan Ave./ westside), Metropolitan Ave. (from South Ave. to N. Garcia Street/ southside), and Ayala Extension (from Malugay Street to the driveway near Toyota Bel-Air/ eastside).

Other streets where one-side parking will be allowed are as follows: Metropolitan Ave. (from South Ave. Ext. to Pasong Tamo/ northside), Bagtikan Street (from Kamagong to Guijo Street), and the inner streets of barangays Valenzuela, Sta. Cruz, and Olympia, which will be managed by the traffic enforcers of the barangays.

The public may call Makati’s emergency hotline 168 for any inquiry or assistance needed. Other PLDT numbers connected to 168 are the following: 870-1920, 870-1923, 870-1926, 870-1929, 870-1932, 870-1935, 870-1940, and 870-1942.