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This Week in Metro Manila (April 13 to 19, 2019)
Be ready for Holy Week 2019 with these travel updates!
By: Denisse Shawntel Tan | April 13, 2019
Holy Week is observed not only in Metro Manila but all over the country.
Holy Week 2019 will fall this week. It is a time when Filipino Catholics commemorate the sacrifices of Jesus and his crucifixion. To recognize the season, April 18 (Maundy Thursday) and April 19 (Good Friday) are designated as national holidays, making for a long weekend. While Catholics generally use this break to go on a spiritual pilgrimage to Catholic churches, other Filipinos usually use the holidays to go on a vacation. To both groups, there are various factors and developments that might affect their travels.
First would be the weather, which is expected to be humid and dry. Second, the MRT and LRT-1 and 2 will be closed from April 15 to 21 for maintenance, so commuters must find alternative ways to travel around. But other than these inconveniences, there are also measures that will make travels during this season more convenient. For one, major tollways announced that they have made preparations for the huge influx of vehicles. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has also checked its terminals and is ready for the onslaught of passengers. Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) released a list of Holy Week activities that locals and tourists can participate in at Intramuros. For more details on the coming week, read on.
Weather: A hot and humid Holy Week ahead
As summer continues, the weather remains hot in Metro Manila. It will remain humid for the rest of the week with day temperature ranging from 34 °C to 36 °C. Since the temperature will be high this week, make sure to always bring an umbrella and to apply sunscreen on both your face and body. To avoid heatstroke and dehydration, bring a fan and bottled water. Wearing clothing made from light materials also helps. Monitor the news for sudden changes [1].
Traffic News
MRT and LRT trains closed due to maintenance
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that MRT and LRT trains will be unavailable to the public from April 15 to 21 for a maintenance shutdown. Operations will resume on April 22 [2]. As an alternative, take buses, vans, taxis, or jeepneys instead. Ride-sharing apps like Grab are also expected to operate during the week.
Expect a huge vehicle volume this Lenten season
The San Miguel Corporation (SMC) tollways expect to see a 10% increase in vehicle volume during the final week of the Lenten season [3]. However, SMC assures that they will deploy additional ambulant tellers and traffic patrol teams, as well as temporary toll collection booths, to ease the traffic. For motorists, expect heavy traffic on the following days and areas:
Skyway (Southbound At-Grade)
April 16 and 17, and April 18 and 20
• C5-Alabang At-Grade
• C5-Alabang At-Grade
Skyway (Northbound At-Grade)
April 21 and 22
• Alabang Viaduct to Skyway On Ramp (Skyway Main Plaza B)
Skyway (Elevated)
April 17
• Amorsolo to Magallanes area
NAIAX (Westbound)
April 17 to 20
• NAIAX Main Toll Plaza B
NAIAX (Eastbound)
April 17 to 20
• NAIAX Main Toll Plaza A
SLEX (Southbound)
April 17
• Calamba Toll Plaza A and B
• Carmona, Sta. Rosa Exit
• Eton-ABI Exit
• Cabuyao Toll Plaza
• Ayala Toll Plaza
April 18
• Carmona, Sta. Rosa Exit
• Ayala Toll Plaza
• Cabuyao Toll Plaza
• Calamba Toll Plaza A and B
• Eton-ABI Exit
April 20
• Cabuyao Toll Plaza
• Ayala Toll Plaza
• Carmona, Sta. Rosa Exit
• Eton-ABI Exit
• Calamba Toll Plaza A and B
SLEX (Northbound)
April 21 to April 22
• Ayala Toll Plaza
• Exits in Filinvest
• Exits in Alabang Viaduct
• Calamba Toll Plaza Entry
Travel Updates
NAIA ready for influx of passengers this Holy Week
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) inspected the terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in preparation for the Holy Week and stated that the airport is ready for the anticipated influx of passengers. Meanwhile, airport officials remind passengers not to bring prohibited items to the airport and to place their gadgets in their carry-on luggage to speed up the process in the check-up point [4].
Holy Week activities in Intramuros
The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced the activities that will be held in Intramuros in observance of Holy Week. Nine sites will be open to the public on Friday for pilgrims and tourists who will have their ‘Visita Iglesia’ (church visit) from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday. Below are the religious sites that will be open [5]:
• Manila Cathedral
• San Agustin Parish Church
• St. Matthew’s Chapel at the Bureau of Internal Revenue Building
• Guadalupe Shrine at Fort Santiago
• Fr. Willman Chapel at the Knights of Columbus Building
• Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Chapel
• Mapua University Chapel
• Lyceum of the Philippines University Chapel
• Colegio De San Juan de Letran Chapel
Mall hours in Manila for Holy Week
Major malls in Manila announced their mall schedules for the Lenten season. The schedules are as follows [6]:
SM Malls
• Holy Wednesday: Regular operating hours except selected malls
• Maundy Thursday: All malls will be closed except selected malls.
• Good Friday: All malls will be closed except selected malls.
• Black Saturday and Easter Sunday: All malls will follow regular operating hours.
Check SM Supermall’s website for the complete schedule.
Eastwood Mall
• Holy Wednesday: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Maundy Thursday and Good Friday: Closed
• Black Saturday: 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
• Easter Sunday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Lucky Chinatown
• Holy Wednesday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Maundy Thursday and Good Friday: Closed
• Black Saturday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• Easter Sunday: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Robinsons Malls
All Robinsons malls in Metro Manila will be closed on Maundy Thursday (April 18) and Good Friday (April 19) except for the malls in the provinces. Regular mall hours will be observed on Black Saturday.
Ayala Malls
• Maundy Thursday and Good Friday: Closed
• Black Saturday and Easter Sunday: 10:00AM to 9:00PM for shops; 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM for dining
The complete list is on Ayala Malls’ website.
For more updates about Metro Manila or for ideas on what to do this Holy Week, visit Yoorekka.
Sources:
[1] http://bit.ly/2VewpnT
[2] http://bit.ly/2DcIGCe
[3] http://bit.ly/2DcIGCe
[4] http://bit.ly/2Kv49MX
[5] http://bit.ly/2G9KPzu
[6] http://bit.ly/2v2B80o
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 🗽.
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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.
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