This Week in Metro Manila (December 21 to 27, 2019)

See how Metro Manila celebrates Christmas! Read on for the updates.

By: Denisse Shawntel Tan | December 21, 2019

Share this article

facebook

twitter

Christmas time has finally arrived in Metro Manila! The holiday break of students have already begun, and with the 24th and 25th as national holidays, most people would have more free time to spend with their loved ones. The weather will be in everyone’s favor since it will be sunny and clear the whole week. However, traffic in Taguig City is expected on December 22 because of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2019 Parade of Stars. The holiday season would also affect other modes of transportation, as the operating schedules of the LRT and MRT are adjusted. Major malls have also announced some changes in their operating hours during the season. In terms of air travel, new e-gates are expected to help improve the flow of queues during the holiday rush. Read on for the details on these news items and more.

Weather

Sunny holidays ahead

Good news: it will be a sunny Christmas in Metro Manila this year. For families who will be going out this holiday season, expect good weather for travels. Day temperature will remain warm with 31 °C to 32 °C. Nights will also have zero to small chances of rainfall [1].

Partial solar eclipse to be visible after Christmas

Skies will be clear enough for the partial solar eclipse on December 26. The eclipse will be visible from 12:32 PM to 12:43 PM [2].

Traffic News

Heavy traffic in Taguig expected due to MMFF Parade of Stars

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) advises motorists to avoid certain areas in Taguig City on December 22 as heavy traffic is expected due to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2019 Parade of Stars. The parade will start at exactly 12:00 PM and is expected to be the longest in the history of MMFF, according to the MMDA.

The parade will use the following route: Lakeshore C-6 right to M.L Quezon Avenue, left to MRT Avenue and right to Cuasay. Then the floats will take a right turn to CP Garcia then left to Upper Mckinley Road, and a right turn to Lawton Avenue 5th Street. Then, the route will take a right turn to McKinley Parkway, left to 32nd Street and left to 7th Avenue, right to 26th Avenue, left to 5th Avenue and right turn to LeGrand Avenue and Chateau Road.

Road closures will be implemented along ML Quezon, along MRT, Cuasay, and C-5 Service Road cor Cayetano Boulevard. A “Stop-and-Go” traffic scheme will be practiced along C-5 Upper McKinley, C-5 Service Road to Sampaguita Bridge, and McKinley Parkway to 26th Avenue. The said roads will be opened around 7:00 PM [3].

LRT and MRT adjust schedules for the holidays

This holiday season, train operating schedules for LRT and MRT trains have been adjusted on certain dates. For the LRT-2, frequent passengers can expect shortened trips on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The last trip from Cubao Station and Recto Station will be up to 8:00 PM only on December 24, while on December 31, last trips from both stations will be at 7:30 PM [4].

The MRT also announced on their Facebook page the following schedules [5] for the holidays:

On December 21, 22, 28, 29, and 30
• First train from North Ave Station will leave at 4:40 AM, and the last train will be at 9:10 PM
• First train from Taft Ave Station will depart at 5:37 AM, and the last train will leave at 10:11 PM

On December 24 and 31
• First train from North Ave Station will depart at 4:40 AM, and the last train will leave at 8:42 PM

On December 25 and January 1
• First trip from North Ave Station will be at 4:40 AM, and the last trip will leave at 9:10 PM
• First train from Taft Ave Station will leave at 6:30 AM, while the last trip will be at 10:11 PM

January 2 and 3
• First trip from the North Ave will start at 4:40 AM, and the last trip will be at 9:10 PM
• Taft Avenue Station’s first train will be at 5:41 AM, and the last train will be at 10:11 PM

MMDA expected to suspend number coding on Christmas

MMDA has yet to announce the suspension of the number coding scheme for private vehicles during the holiday season, but it is expected [6]. Be on the lookout for the announcement by following MMDA on their social media sites.

Travel Updates

Holiday mall hours for 2019

Malls have also adjusted their operating hours for the holidays. The list for some mall schedule changes are as follows [7]:

December 9 to 23
Power Plant Mall: Monday to Friday, 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM

December 24
Power Plant Mall: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Gateway Mall: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Fisher Mall: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

December 25
Power Plant Mall: 12:00PM to 9:00PM
Araneta City: 12:00PM to 11:00PM
Fisher Mall: 11:00AM to 10:00PM

December 26-30
Power Plant Mall: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily

December 31
Power Plant Mall: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily
Araneta City: 10:00AM to 7:00 PM
Fisher Mall: 11:00AM to 7:00PM

January 1
Power Plant Mall: 12:00PM to 9:00PM
Araneta City: 12:00PM to 11:00PM
Fisher Mall: 12:00PM to 10:00PM

January 2
Power Plant Mall: Regular mall hours
Robinsons Malls: Depends on the branch
Ayala Malls: Depends on the branch
SM Malls: Depends on the branch

Check the social media pages of the malls for complete list of mall schedules.

New airport e-gates will help in improving queues

More people coming home for Christmas are expected in airports. Just in time for the holiday season, the Bureau of Immigration launched NAIA e-gates. The e-gates will help in reducing queueing and processing time during the holiday rush. The new e-gate system will be assigned at the NAIA 2 immigration departure area.

Hotel booking status

Most of the major and boutique hotels in Metro Manila still have ideal room availability for solo travelers and big families.


Visit Yoorekka for more news and updates.



Sources:
[1] http://bit.ly/2YgyAJU
[2] http://bit.ly/2PcS679
[3] http://bit.ly/36T9rbh
[4] http://bit.ly/2tE3D7v
[5] http://bit.ly/2EzWXZZ
[6] http://bit.ly/35G9QOn
[7] http://bit.ly/35G9WWd
[8] http://bit.ly/36U7D1K
[9] http://bit.ly/35EIRm4

About Denisse Shawntel Tan

Denisse Tan is currently a work in progress: she’s an aspiring writer, artist, and fashion designer! She’s trying to figure out how to manage her time in achieving all of her goals while also taking in life as humanly possible. Aside from art, she’s a big fan of the color pink, disco music, Bratz dolls, and Genshin Impact. By age 35, she plans to travel to New York City 🗽.

Learn more stories on:

travel things to do Metro Manila weather

Location Tags:

Manila

Disclaimer: All articles in the Consumers Magazine of Yoorekka are for general information and entertainment purposes only. Although careful research has been made in writing them, Yoorekka does not make any warranty about the completeness and accuracy of all information presented in our articles. Our content is not intended to be used in place of legal, medical, or any professional advice.