This Week in Metro Manila (December 12 to 18, 2016)

The start of the week will be predominantly sunny in the morning and partly cloudy all throughout the day until night. The Christmas breeze will be in the air but the weather will still bring humidity and warmth. Wearing of attires made of light and cool materials is necessary especially to commuters and shoppers for maximum comfort. The latter part of the week will still be cloudy but with higher probability of rain and thunderstorms, thus bringing of umbrella is necessary for protection against the weather.

Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-Act) launched its newest effort to help the public solve some of the metros traffic problems, and that is the I WILL ACT Portal (www.mmda.gov.ph/i-will-act). The agency hopes that this will encourage the public to report any problems that they see on the streets because the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) cannot do it alone.

Through the online portal, the public can easily report their particular traffic complaint wherever they are and once received it will be forwarded to the concerned department. All the complainant needs to do is accomplish the form on the website, submit a photo or video as evidence of the said complaint, and be willing to attend the hearings as soon as the case is in progress.

Some of the concerns that the public can report include enforcers who extort from motorists, illegally parked vehicles, bus with open doors, sidewalk obstructions, illegal terminals, overloaded PUVs, unattended excavation, garbage laden waterways, and so on.

Due to the expected heavier wave of traffic that will be coming this December, the management of Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and Philippine National Railways (PNR) will be extending its operating hours to help the public with their daily commute.

LRT line 1 will be operating as late as 11:00 PM until December 23 in both northbound trains coming from Baclaran station and southbound trains coming from Roosevelt station.

Meanwhile, LRT line 2 will operate as early as 5:00 AM and as late as 10:00 PM for the last train in Recto station and 10:30 PM for the last train in Santolan station.

MRT Line 3, on the other hand, will be operating as early as 4:30 AM and as late as 10:00 PM for the last train in North Avenue station and 10:30 PM for the last train in Taft Avenue station.

PNR will still maintain its current operation with the first train from Tutuban leaving at 5:05 AM with its last trip at 7:35 PM while the first train from Alabang will leave at 5:34 AM and the last train at 7:34 PM.

Unfortunately, the number of active trains operating was reduced to 30 from 42 due to their unavailability so there will be a 30-minute to an hour interval before another train arrives.

Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), operator of LRT 1, will be providing free rides for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) all weekends of December until January 8, 2017.

To avail of their free rides, senior citizens and PWDs should be holders of concessionary beep cards (CBC) and be accompanied by two family members. Once they arrive at any LRT 1 station, they can proceed to the teller’s booth so they can access their free ride.

The Venice Grand Canal Mall at McKinley Hill will hold its first ever Grand Venetian Christmas Parade, the Parata di Natale. Guests will be treated with spectacle and awe as the circus-inspired masked men will circle the Grand Canal to entertain and take pictures with them.

The parade at The Venice Grand Canal Mall happens every 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 8:00 PM during all Sundays of December.