No weekday mall sales in Metro Manila starting October 21 —DOTr

In line with the government efforts to address the traffic situation during the holiday season, the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (IACT) on Sunday said mall operators will not be allowed to conduct sale promos in Metro Manila during weekdays starting October 21.

"Starting October 21, all mall operators are required by the i-ACT to not conduct mall sales during weekdays," the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a tweet on its official Twitter account.

Starting October 21, all mall operators are required by the i-ACT to not conduct mall sales during weekdays. #DOTr https://t.co/F3c7Lgr6ar

— DOTr (@DOTr_PH) October 9, 2016

Transport officials were not immediately available for further comment.

The IACT counts as members the DOTr, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG).

Other remedies have been pitched in by the government, such as the recommendation of Senator Grace Poe to have an earlier Christmas break for schools this December, so students may avoid the holiday rush, and also help decongest thoroughfares expected to be extra busy at the time.

While the education department said it is considering the proposal, Secretary Leonor M. Briones said that they will still have to study the impact of this on the learning of children. —Jon Viktor D. CabuenasALG, GMA News