MMDA reminds trainers: Look both ways, use footbridges when playing Pokémon GO

Aspiring trainers hoping to catch them all were gently reminded by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to practice basic road safety while using the augmented-reality game Pokémon GO.

In a humorous post ribbing enthusiastic Pokémon fans, the MMDA reminded players to look both ways before crossing the street and to use pedestrian footbridges during their adventures.

The MMDA also warned trainers to be wary of encountering members of Team Rocket — pickpockets, in this case  — in the comments section.

Pokémon Go, an app developed by Niantic, is currently unavailable through legal means on both Android and iPhone in the Philippines. But some users have been able to use it by installing the program directly on their phones.

Elsewhere, the app has topped iPhone's Top Free and Top Grossing charts.

The game allows trainers to find and catch Pokémon in real time using the player's camera and GPS after customizing their avatar and choosing between Generation One starters Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur.

Pokémon trainers can also fight for control over gyms at major landmarks on behalf of their chosen faction: Team Valor (Red), Team Mystic (Blue), or Team Instinct (Yellow). —Rie Takumi/JST, GMA News