Motorists advised to avoid lockdown areas during ASEAN Summit

MANILA — The government will implement a lockdown in some parts of Metro Manila to avoid traffic congestion during the country’s hosting of the 31^st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

In a statement, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Officer in Charge Catalino Cuy, who is also the concurrent chairperson of the Asean Committee on Security, Peace and Order, Emergency Preparedness and Response, urged motorists and commuters to refrain from passing through the following areas:

• November 8 (12:01 a.m. onwards) – Partial lockdown of CCP Complex, Pasay City
• November 11 (10:00 p.m. onwards) – Complete lockdown of SMX-MAAX Block, Pasay City
• November 12 (12:01 a.m. onwards) – Complete lockdown of CCP Complex, Pasay City
• November 13 (12:01 a.m. onwards) – Total lockdown of Roxas Boulevard starting from Padre Burgos Ave. to Buendia Ave., Manila
• November 13 (12:01 a.m. onwards) – Partial lifting of lockdown at SMX-MAAX Block, Pasay City
• November 13 (12:00 noon onwards) – Lifting of lockdown for Roxas Blvd. (Padre Burgos Ave. to Buendia Ave., Manila)
• November 14 – Continuous lockdown of CCP Complex, Pasay City
• November 15 (12:00 noon onwards) – Partial lifting of lockdown for CCP Complex, Pasay City

During the partial lockdown period, pedestrians and vehicles without ASEAN IDs and decals are allowed to enter the designated routes only if they pass through the vehicle and pedestrian security areas.

On days with full lockdown schedule, only pedestrians and vehicles with ASEAN IDs and decals will be allowed to pass while the general public will be denied access to these routes.

Cuy advises motorists to steer clear of the lockdown areas in order that they will not be trapped in case there is a passing convoy.

The MMDA earlier said a modified stop and go scheme will be enforced along the routes of the convoy. In the scheme, vehicles of the delegates of ASEAN and their convoy will be prioritized.

A full stop of traffic will be observed five minutes before a convoy passes through, but the volume of traffic will determine the duration of the stop-and-go scheme on each intersection.

All trucks and closed vans will also not be allowed to traverse along SCTEX/NLEX from Clark to Balintawak and along EDSA from Balintawak to Magallanes from November 11 to 15. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)