No added congestion, road closures during Miss Universe pageant –DOTr

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday assured the public that the Miss Universe pageant will not be affecting the flow of traffic in Metro Manila and the other venues for the event.

"Secretary Wanda Teo and the President [have] been very clear that they don't want the event to be causing discomfort to the riding public, to the commuters," DOTr spokesperson Cherie Mercado-Santos said in an inter-agency press conference.

"So, we will have to do the proper coordination and make it as smooth as possible, both for the contestants and the usual commuters who ply the roads," she added.

Mercado-Santos said that they will be working closely with the Department of Tourism (DOT) until the last contestant leaves the country to ensure that commuters won't experience additional strain due to pageant activities.

She added that the DOT's decision to spread out the events on different dates and venues makes them confident that road congestion will not be a problem.

"Mukhang hindi naman talaga siya makakasagabal sa daloy ng trapiko," Mercado-Santos said.

Furthermore, the DOTr gave an assurance that they will not be scheduling road closures for the pageant and its related activities.

"That (road closure) is not expected to happen kasi ayaw ni presidente ng mayroong mga ganoon," Mercado-Santos said. "There won't be any disturbance in the daily lives of the Filipino commuters, whether in Metro Manila or in the provinces where they will hold their other events."

Miss Universe delegates will start arriving as early as January 7th, but most are scheduled to arrive on the 12th and 13th. Events have been scheduled in Boracay, Vigan, Cebu, Baguio, and Davao.

The activities will culminate on January 30, coronation night at the Mall of Asia Arena. —Aya Tantiangco/KBK, GMA News