Metro Manila malls to operate from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting Nov. 17

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority announced Friday that malls in the National Capital Region will shift their operating hours starting Nov. 17.

In a press conference, MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said that the agency and mall operators have agreed to make the adjustments, which will be effective until Dec. 25 of this year.

The mall hours will now be from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, except for holidays and weekends.

“Effective po ito Monday hanggang Friday, exemptions po dito ang weekends and holidays,” he added.

Mall-wide sales are also restricted to weekends.

Furthermore, mall deliveries are limited to the hours between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

In the same briefing, Artes said that MMDA will suspend all road excavation activities that may cause traffic in Metro Manila from Nov. 17 to Dec. 25. 

"Kaya po pinapayagan natin December 26 onwards, kahit mag 24 hours po na gawa 'yung mga contractors sa kalsada ay atin pong papayagan dahil sa experience at monitoring po namin napakaluwag naman po ng daloy ng traffic," Artes said.

To help commuters traveling to other cities and provinces, the MMDA is adjusting the EDSA bus schedule. From Dec. 20, buses may operate nightly between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Buses will also be allowed to run 24 hours a day from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2.

According to Artes, Metro Manila typically handles around 3.6 million vehicles daily. However, he noted that holiday traffic volume traditionally jumps by 10% to 20%.