NCR malls to operate longer hours beginning next week

A deal reached on Tuesday with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will see malls in the National Capital Region (NCR) start opening and closing an hour later starting the following week.

A consultative meeting held at the new MMDA facility in Pasig City with mall owners and operators in Metro Manila resulted in their approval of the modification effective on November 14.

Acting MMDA Chairman Romando Artes stated that the request was made to alter mall operating hours in order to lessen the projected increased traffic over the Christmas season.

“Mall-wide sales will be only allowed during weekends. Also, deliveries will be from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. only. Exempted from the regulation are deliveries of perishable goods, restaurants serving breakfast, and groceries,” Artes said.

He also directed shopping mall operators to submit traffic management plans and the schedule of their sales and other promotional events two weeks ahead of time.

“We will make a further study on their traffic management plan. We will deploy the necessary number of traffic enforcers to man the traffic,” he said.

He also said the new schedule may be lifted on or before Jan. 6, 2023, depending on the traffic situation after Christmas.

“We will observe the traffic situation in the metropolis on December 26. If the traffic is normal and manageable, we will immediately lift the restrictions and announce it to the public,” he said.

The malls with representatives present during the meeting include SM Malls, Robinsons, Araneta Center, Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Shopping Center and Trinoma Vertis, among others.

During the meeting, he also announced the temporary suspension of all excavation activities in NCR roads beginning midnight of Nov. 14 until midnight of Jan. 6, including activities such as road reblocking works, pipe laying, road upgrading and all other excavation works.