Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes on Wednesday, December 10 appealed to mall operators to refrain from holding mall-wide holiday sales, warning that simultaneous promotions were a major factor behind the crippling Marcos Highway gridlock last weekend.
Speaking via Zoom during the Malacañang press briefing moderated by Press Undersecretary Claire Castro, Artes said the Christmas rush has pushed traffic volumes far beyond road capacity, especially in areas outside Metro Manila where the MMDA’s mall-sale restrictions do not apply.
The situation worsened on Marcos Highway, he said, after multiple malls in Rizal held simultaneous sales, triggering a mass exit of shoppers that overwhelmed traffic flow and enforcement personnel.
“Yung sa Marcos Highway, nagkasabay-sabay po yung sale doon sa mga malls na outside ng jurisdiction ng MMDA. At kung inyo pong matatandaan, pinagbabawal po natin ang mall sale dito po sa Kamaynilaan,” Artes said.
“Pagkasara po ng mall, sabay-sabay po naglabasan na talaga naman pong naging dahilan ng sobrang bigat ng daloy ng traffic,” he said.
The MMDA chief clarified that the agency is not blaming mall owners, but is strongly requesting them to avoid full-mall sales because they prompt synchronized crowd surges that spill onto major roads.
Individual store promotions are allowed, he emphasized, as long as they are not done mall-wide. “Pag sobra rin po ang traffic, nawawala ang foot traffic at nakakaapekto rin sa sales nila,” he said.
“Hindi po namin pinagbabawal ang sale per se, per store. Ang pinagbabawal lang natin ay yung mall-wide sale na kabuuan po ng mall ay lahat po ng stores ay may sale.”
Artes said the MMDA has already convened the LGUs of Marikina, Pasig, Quezon City, Cainta, and Antipolo to craft mitigation measures to prevent another gridlock.
An inter-LGU ocular inspection is set Wednesday afternoon to finalize proposed adjustments, including coordinated truck-ban rules, unified interventions, and increased personnel deployment.
He added that the MMDA has requested the Department of Transportation to extend MRT, LRT, and bus carousel operating hours to give commuters reliable alternatives to private vehicles during the peak season.
Artes also noted that vehicle volume on EDSA alone reaches about 450,000 during the first two weeks of December—far above its 250,000-vehicle capacity—making the season especially vulnerable to disruptions.
Additional enforcers will also be deployed along Marcos Highway, where counterflowing motorists and stalled trucks contributed to last Saturday’s congestion.
