MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday, November 29, announced that it would lift the suspension of the number coding scheme in the National Capital Region within this week.

According to MMDA Benhur Abalos, the Metro Manila Council of mayors has signed the resolution that will resume the number coding scheme and the same will be published in a Philippine gazette on Tuesday.

Abalos added that the implementation of the resumption of the number coding scheme will be two days after the publication of the resolution.

The number coding scheme will be from 5 PM to 8 PM from Monday to Friday.

He clarified, however, that public transportation will still be exempted from the scheme.

Light trucks, on the other hand, will be banned from EDSA from 5 AM to 9 PM. —/mbmf

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday said it is looking into the possibility of re-implementing the number coding scheme amid increasing volume of vehicles traversing the major thoroughfare.

MMDA chairperson Benhur Abalos noted that the traffic speed has become slower after the quarantine restrictions were eased in Metro Manila compared to the recorded speed when stricter quarantine restrictions were still in place.

“Travel speed along EDSA from Roxas Boulevard going to Monumento is slower at 19 kilometers per hour (kph) now that we are under alert level 2 compared to 23kph during the ECQ,” Abalos said in a statement.

“If we recorded the pre-pandemic speed of 11kph, it is possible that we shall re-implement the number coding scheme but we are monitoring the traffic volume count and the speed everyday,” he added.

Abalos earlier said that if the scheme will be re-implemented, this may only be imposed during rush hours, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The number coding scheme in Metro Manila has been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANILA, Philippines — Bus commuters along EDSA may now use the footbridge on EDSA Buendia Southbound in Makati, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Thursday.

The MMDA said the newly opened the footbridge will provide pedestrians safe access to and from the new loading/unloading bay for the bus carousel in the area.

MMDA chairperson Benhur Abalos said the footbridge would also help ease traffic in the area as well as making the EDSA busway travel more seamless and safer for commuters.

“Buendia is one of the busiest intersections in terms of pedestrian traffic and having this overpass for them to use will make their trips easy, secured, and safe” he said.

The MMDA said the footbridge will be connected to the existing MRT pedestrian overpass crossing EDSA Southbound which will serve those who are going to Makati Central Business District and vice versa, as well as commuters coming from Bonifacio Global City.

It can be accessed from Makati Avenue or the southbound exit of the MRT Buendia Station.

It is the 125th footbridge that the MMDA has built all over Metro Manila which serves a total of approximately 3 million pedestrians daily, according to Abalos.

The construction of footbridges in Tramo, Taft, and Roxas Boulevard for the EDSA Bus Carousel is already underway, the MMDA said.