The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) plans to adapt the Daylight-Saving Time (DST) to ease traffic in NCR, MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said in their press briefing, March 25.
Artes said among the recommendations to the MMDA is the use of DST, where government offices and transaction hours in NCR will start by 7 am and end by 4 pm from Monday to Friday.
“’Yang pong isang oras na adjustment na ’yan sa pasok po sa gobyerno ay malaking bagay,” Artes said.
He added, “Dahil hindi lamang po ’yung pumapasok sa trabaho sa gobyerno ang apektado niyan kundi pati na rin po ’yung mga mayroong transaksyon sa gobyerno.”
During a radio interview with Teleradyo, Artes admitted that the volume of vehicles in NCR is already excessive, and this recommendation came after the heavy traffic experienced in NCR when it returned to Alert Level 1 after nearly three years.
“Lahat naman din po nag-a-agree na kailangan magbawas ng bilang ng sasakyan sa kalsada or at least i-spread out po ito all throughout the day,” Artes said.
Based on MMDA’s data presented during the #LagingHandaPH public briefing, a maximum of 405,000 vehicles lined up in EDSA every day before the pandemic. At the start of 2022, the amount decreased to 396,000, and it was down to 372,000 when fuel prices went up.
NCR resident Loui Darauay said that it is time to implement the DST so that government and private sectors will have different office hours, and commuters will not crowd the national roads simultaneously.
“Hindi lang magiging maluwag ang daan, maaga pang makapagpahinga ang mga empleyado ng government sector,” Darauay said.
Meanwhile, Sharon Chinalpan, a government employee, believed otherwise.
“Hindi ko nakikitaan ng kabawasan sa trapiko ang isang oras sa umaga at sa hapon,” she said, “Ang mangyayari din kasi mag-aadjust din ng punta ang client.”
Chinalpan said that instead of adjusting government work hours, the government must think of a better strategy to ease traffic congestion in NCR.
Artes assured in an interview with Dobol B TV that President Rodrigo Duterte gave positive feedback on the MMDA’s proposal for the DST.
“Maganda naman po ang kanyang response dahil inatasan niya po ako na i-discuss na po ito sa mga agencies and stakeholders concerned para po ma-implement daw po kaagad at mabawasan ’yung daloy ng traffic,” he said.
Artes said the MMDA and the Civil Service Commission will discuss the proposed amendment of government office hours and transactions.
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