Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Fisher Mall in Quezon City launches their Christmas display on November 28, 2024, as the Christmas season approaches. The mall also gave gifts to Bahay ng Aruga as the chosen beneficiary through their "Fishing for Joy" campaign. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Christmas at Fisher Mall

Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176067314245020241128-fisher-mall-xmas-MD-8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fisher Mall in Quezon City launches their Christmas display on November 28, 2024, as the Christmas season approaches. The mall also gave gifts to Bahay ng Aruga as the chosen beneficiary through their &quot;Fishing for Joy&quot; campaign. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— In anticipation of the heavy traffic expected during the holiday season, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday announced a series of measures to take effect next month aimed at minimizing congestion across major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/10/-pinagkakakitaan-dpwh-indefinitely-suspends-road-reblocking-0914">&#x27;Pinagkakakitaan&#x27;: DPWH indefinitely suspends road reblocking activities</a></div><p>Starting November 17 until midnight of December 25, the MMDA will suspend all road excavation activities in Metro Manila, including concrete reblocking, road upgrading, and other works that may hinder the smooth flow of vehicles.</p><p>&quot;Kaya po pinapayagan natin December 26 onwards, kahit mag 24 hours po na gawa &#x27;yung mga contractors sa kalsada ay atin pong papayagan dahil sa experience at monitoring po namin napakaluwag naman po ng daloy ng traffic,&quot; MMDA chairman Don Artes said.</p><p>However, certain projects will be exempted including major government infrastructure or flagship projects of the DPWH, bridge repair and construction, asphalt overlaying (without reblocking), sidewalk and drainage improvements, emergency repairs on water lines, and water and electrical service connections.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NEW MALL HOURS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Mall operations will also be adjusted to help ease traffic congestion. </p><p>From November 17 to December 25, mall hours will be from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., except on weekends and holidays.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/10/07/16/govt-bans-weekday-mall-sales-to-ease-christmas-traffic">Govt bans weekday mall sales to ease Christmas traffic</a></div><p>Deliveries to malls will only be allowed between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.</p><p>Meanwhile, mall-wide sales will be limited to weekends, and mall management must coordinate with the MMDA in advance for proper traffic management planning.</p><p>According to Artes, there are 29 malls along EDSA and a total of 131 malls across Metro Manila.</p><p>&quot;With these measures po na ini-implement natin so far from the past ilang years naman, hindi po tayo nakaka-experience ng carmageddon kung saan talagang nagsa-stand still. Bagamat may pagbigat ng daloy ng traffic at least hindi po natin nae-experience na nagiging parking lot yung Metro Manila,&quot; Artes said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BUSES</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>To accommodate travelers during the holiday period, provincial buses will be allowed to operate along EDSA from December 20 between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. </p><p>Starting December 24 to January 2, provincial buses will be permitted 24 hours daily. </p><p>More than 2,000 MMDA enforcers will be deployed, with extended shifts until midnight, to ensure continuous monitoring and clearing operations.</p><p>Artes said that around 3.6 million vehicles travel through Metro Manila every day.</p><p>He noted that traffic volume typically increases by 10 to 20 percent during the holiday season, which means an additional 700,000 vehicles are expected on the roads.</p><p>The MMDA will also intensify its No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) and clearing operations.</p><div><br/><br/></div><div><strong>COMMUTE</strong> </div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez also conducted an inspection of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) stop in Philcoa in Quezon City where he observed that road conditions have improved, with more buses now servicing the Commonwealth route.</p><p>The Secretary also observed a high volume of passengers and crowded train cars at the MRT-3 Kamuning Station.</p><p>The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) began deploying six four-car train sets on Friday to help improve operational efficiency during peak hours.</p><p>In its statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) MRT-3 said the initiative aims to shorten waiting times and ease passenger congestion, particularly during the morning rush between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.</p><p>Each four-car train can accommodate up to 1,576 passengers per trip, 394 more than the regular three-car configuration.</p><p>The added capacity is expected to help accommodate more commuters during high-demand hours.</p><p>The management said it will closely monitor the performance of the four-car trains to determine whether their deployment will become part of regular operations. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9awSjWlsXLQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7kJJYqZZ9FA?&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>MMDA's new policies for the holiday are set to be implemented next month.</p>

MMDA announces traffic scheme, new mall hours for holiday season

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MMDA announces traffic scheme, new mall hours for holiday season

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 17, 2025 11:49 AM PHT

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Updated Oct 17, 2025 03:02 PM PHT

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