Metro Manila malls to adjust operating hours for Christmas season

Mall hours in the National Capital Region will be adjusted to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting November 13, 2023, until January 8, 2024, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Friday.

MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said the modified mall hours would be implemented to address the anticipated heavy traffic during the Christmas season.

“Iyon pong ating mall hours ay ipapa-adjust natin from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting din po iyan ng November 13 at iyan ay tatagal hanggang January 8,” he said in a press conference.

(Our mall hours will be adjusted to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting November 13 until January 8.)

Deliveries can only be made at 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, except for perishable goods such as food and ice.

Mall-wide sales are allowed only on weekends. However, stores or outlets inside malls may offer sales on weekdays, provided that they do not make announcements or advertisements for them.

Mall operators are required to submit traffic management plans to the MMDA for their mall sales and promotional events two weeks earlier.

These traffic measures were crafted after a meeting with Metro Manila mall operators, according to the MMDA.

Traffic enforcers’ night shift duty will be extended until midnight to manage the expected traffic. They will receive overtime pay for the extended hours of work.

According to Artes, traffic enforcers are instructed to avoid apprehension of simple moving violations to prevent traffic congestion.

Also, the MMDA has temporarily suspended road reblocking works, excavation activities, pipe laying, road upgrading, and similar projects.

Some projects are exempted from the suspension, such as flagship projects of the government, sidewalk improvements, emergency repair for water supply, and electricity supply projects, among others. —VBL, GMA Integrated News