00:00Now that Christmas is coming, the MMDA is preparing the heavy traffic, especially in Metro Manila.
00:09They are already helping to lead the malls along EDSA
00:13to implement changes in the time of their operation.
00:18And we are live with Joseph Coro.
00:21Joseph.
00:25Vicky, the Christmas rush is already starting.
00:28Even though it's only October, according to the MMDA,
00:31that's why they are talking to the malls to adjust the operating hours
00:35and even though the sales are being delayed.
00:46Whenever Christmas comes, this is how slow the traffic on EDSA is.
00:51Because there are a lot of people who are buying and traveling because of the Christmas rush,
00:55the cars are also crowded, especially the ones near the malls.
00:59But according to the MMDA, the number of cars on EDSA is already high.
01:03A few months before Christmas, the volume of cars on EDSA is already 421,000
01:09in one month from the previous 400,000 in August.
01:14If you are going to travel here on EDSA, you will be traveling slower by one kilometer per hour.
01:21According to the MMDA, that's the effect of the early Christmas rush
01:24which is already felt and will continue.
01:28How about Christmas shopping?
01:32That's why the MMDA is talking to the malls to reduce that.
01:37Adjust the mall hours.
01:39Normally, we reach half a mil while Christmas season is approaching.
01:45We expect that before Ondas, it will be heavy.
01:50Then after Ondas, it will be straight until Christmas time.
01:54There are 29 malls in the length of EDSA.
01:58That's why the average speed is 20 to 21 kilometers per hour
02:02which is only 19 kilometers per hour in the northbound and slower than 18.13 kph in the southbound.
02:09According to the malls, from November 18 to December 25,
02:14instead of 10 am, they will open at 11 am.
02:18But the malls will decide on the next day what time they will close.
02:24They will just announce it.
02:26The Christmas mall wide sales should be done earlier than November 18.
02:33We are supporting whatever MMDA is requesting from us, sir.
02:39Most likely, the bonuses are released before November 18.
02:46All of our sales are done prior to December.
02:51And recognizing as well that the bonuses are released prior to November 18.
02:57We're going to follow the request of our MMDA regarding this holiday season
03:04to ease the congestion in EDSA during this holiday season.
03:09MMDA is hoping to reduce the volume of vehicles going to the malls.
03:16We're just scattering it.
03:18If you noticed, these past few years,
03:23we haven't experienced the so-called carmageddon
03:27where our roads become a parking lot.
03:33It's slowing down and it's moving.
03:40Vicky, the MMDA is also planning to talk to the Department of Transportation
03:44to talk about extending the LRT, MRT, and EDSA bus carousel for commuters.
03:52Joseph, you mentioned earlier that since August, the volume of vehicles has increased.
03:57We're just in the middle of October.
04:00Can MMDA say how big or how many percent
04:04the number of vehicles going to EDSA is increasing during this holiday season?
04:13We're already good because if we're at 421,000 in September,
04:18it's possible to increase it by 10 to 20 percent
04:22because according to MMDA Chairman Tony Romando-Artes,
04:25we're reaching 500,000 every day in EDSA.
04:29But their observation is that after 25,000, the figure will drop
04:33because you know that the people are in the provinces.
04:38Joseph, what's the reason why they decided to start adjusted mall hours on November 18?
04:43Is it because of the bonus?
04:49I hope the bonus will be released soon.
04:51But it's more operational, Vicky.
04:53So that the malls will have a chance to reconfigure their schedules.
05:00Normally, every year, MMDA announces the adjusted mall hours
05:07so that the malls and people will have time to plan when to shop for Christmas.
05:16Thank you very much, Joseph Morong.
06:00Thank you very much.
06:30END
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