MMDA clarifies no ban on mall-wide sales
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) clarified that mall-wide sales will not be banned amid the holiday rush.
This comes after the agency said it would prohibit mall-wide sales in Metro Manila this December.
"Walang penalty if the mall would conduct a mall-wide sale. Ang pakiusap lang namin, to coordinate with us at least 2 weeks before the mall-wide sale para at least maplano natin yung ating traffic lalo na 'yung malls along EDSA and other major thoroughfares," Victor Maria Nuñez, director III for enforcement of MMDA’s Traffic Discipline Office, told reporters on Dec. 10.
On Dec. 9, the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) protested against MMDA's mall-wide sales ban.
"Ito lang ang biggest shopping period in all of the months of the year na makakabawi ang mga retailers tsaka store owners. Not just the big ones, pati ito yung medium-sized and the small ones," said PRA president Roberto Claudio in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
He added that the big sales also benefit government revenues because "the more sales, the more VAT payments are made."
In response, MMDA Chairman Romando Artes explained that such sales cause heavy traffic.
"Napakarami nating malls na nasa EDSA, C5 na major thoroughfares na pagnababarahan po natin, nag-cause ng major traffic," he told DWPM Radyo 360.
"'Yan naman po ay pakiusap namin sa mall owners na tayo po ay pinagbibigyan. Hindi naman po natin ipinagbabawal 'yung sale. 'Wag lang po mall-wide. Kasi 'pag mall-wide, dinudumog talaga ng napakaraming tao," Artes said.
On Dec. 5, MMDA Task Force Special Operations Chief Gabriel Go said that stores could hold sales as long as they do so without large-scale promotions.
But for Claudio, this will defeat the purpose of the sale.
"Why go on sale tapos hindi mo sasabihin? Eh 'di wala ring pumunta. Hindi alam ng mga shoppers meron palang sale doon. Parang dineprive mo sila of that benefit that they can buy cheaper goods," he said.
464,000 vehicles ply EDSA daily
Meanwhile, MMDA highlighted the significant increase in traffic on EDSA, where about 464,000 vehicles are traveling daily this December along the country's major thoroughfare.
"[This] is way beyond almost double na ng carrying capacity ng EDSA which is 250,000," Artes noted.
The bulk of the vehicles, he said, are usually seen during rush hours of 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
He added that the volume of vehicles along the highway could increase this week as it's payday weekend and people are still doing Christmas shopping.
"Kaya po tayo nananawagan sa mga kababayan na planuhing mabuti sana natin 'yung ating pagbiyahe lalo na this weekend," Artes added.
Metro Manila was among the 387 metro areas with the worst traffic congestion in the world in 2023. This was according to TomTom, a multinational traffic data provider and location technology specialist, which defined a metro area as "a circle covering the city and rural areas in close proximity."
The 2023 TomTom Traffic Index revealed that local motorists in Manila spent an average travel time of 25 minutes and 30 seconds per 10 kilometers last year. This is 50 seconds longer than it took to cover the same distance in 2022.
