MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will deploy 1,854 personnel starting Wednesday as part of its “Oplan Metro Alalay Semana Santa (Oplan Mass)” to ensure the safety of motorists and passengers during the observance of the Holy Week.
The personnel, including traffic enforcers, roadside clearing group, anti-jaywalking, road safety, and towing personnel, will be deployed along major thoroughfares in Metro Manila to manage traffic amid the expected exodus of people to the provinces for the Holy Week break.
The MMDA will also deploy personnel within the vicinity of bus terminals, seaports and roads leading to airports as well as in major churches such as Redemptorist Church, Quiapo Church, Sto. Domingo Church, St. Peter Church, St. Pio Church, Las Pinas Church, Edsa Shrine, Manila Cathedral, San Dionisio Chapel, San Pedro Church, Sta. Ana Church and San Sebastian Basilica Church where pilgrims are expected to converge for the traditional Visita Iglesia.
More traffic enforcers will be also fielded to traffic chokepoints in the metropolis while emergency tents and ambulances will be set up at bus terminals.
Rescue and emergency personnel will put assistance desks along Marcos Highway and Ortigas Avenue and help devotees going to the pilgrimage site in Antipolo City.
“There will be no let-up in the agency’s drive against illegally parked vehicles and obstructions on the road,” MMDA Acting General Manager Jojo Garcia told a press briefing Tuesday.
The MMDA will implement a ‘no day off and no absent policy’ for all traffic personnel on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday when traffic is expected to be heavy.
The agency will also lift the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or the number coding scheme for private vehicles starting 10 a.m. Wednesday. City and provincial buses are also exempted from the number coding on Wednesday (March 28) and Monday (April 2) to ferry passengers going to the 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.
The MMDA official has ordered to strictly enforce the yellow lane policy on the first two lanes from Edsa’s sidewalk designated only for public utility vehicles.
Oplan MASS has been reactivated in coordination with other government agencies such as Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Office of Civil Defense and Metro Manila local government units. (PNA)
