MMDA: ‘No absent, no day off’ policy for traffic personnel during Undas 2022

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday said it will implement a “ no absent, no day off” policy for traffic personnel in order to be ready and full force for the influx of passengers during this year’s observation of Undas.

At a public briefing, MMDA spokesperson Atty. Melissa Carunungan said traffic enforcers will also be deployed to bus terminals for the expected influx of passengers going and leaving their areas.

“With our traffic personnel for Undas po magkaka ‘no absent, no dayoff’ policy rin po sila para we will be ready and full force during Undas po," Carunungan said.

(With our traffic personnel for Undas, they will have “no absent, no day off” policy so we will be ready and full force during Undas. )

"Yung tinitignan po ng MMDA usually pag-Undas ay yung aming bus terminals, so we are deploying traffic enforcers po doon para for the influx of people coming or leaving Manila,” she added.

(We are also deploying traffic enforcers for the influx of people coming or leaving Manila in bus terminals.)

Carunungan said the agency will also deploy traffic and rescue personnel to major public cemeteries in case of emergencies.

“Magdedeploy rin po kami ng (We will deploy) traffic enforcer sa ating mga major public cemeteries and in addition to this we also have rescue personnel that will be on standby po sa ating mga terminals or cemeteries just in case of emergencies,” she added.

Preparations for holiday season

At the same briefing, Carunungan said they are also discussing with mall operators on ways to reduce the traffic ahead of the holiday season.

“We have certain preparations for Christmas. On the part of the MMDA, ‘yung sinabi pong meeting with the mall operators, sana po yung mga sales sa weekend at kung may sale po dapat sila magbigay ng traffic management plan two weeks before para makatulong kami sa daloy ng trapiko. Sana po yung mga [delivery] po nila sa night time with the exception of perishable goods such as food and water,” she said.

(We hope that if there is a sale, they should provide a traffic management plan two weeks before so that we can help with the flow of traffic. We hope their deliveries will be done at night time with the exception of perishable goods such as food and water.)

Carunungan said they are also coordinating with several concessionaires on the moratorium on road diggings and excavations.

"Nagpupulong na po together with different concessionaires such as Meralco, Maynilad, Manila Water regarding moratorium on road diggings and excavations from November 14 to the first week of January po. So these are some preparations na ginagawa in relation to the upcoming Christmas rush po,” she added.

(We were coordinating with different concessionaires such as Meralco, Maynilad, Manila Water regarding the moratorium on road diggings and excavations from November 14 up to the first week of January. So these are some of the preparations being made in relation to the upcoming Christmas rush.) — RSJ, GMA News