The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will not allow mall-wide sales promotions during the holidays.
Gabriel Go, chief of the MMDA Special Operations Group Strike Force, said the ban is meant to lower traffic congestion ahead of the Christmas rush.
Mall operators have also adjusted mall opening hours to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight.
The MMDA had earlier begun implementing traffic management measures to ease the expected heavier traffic congestion during this holiday season.
Starting Monday, November 18, until midnight on December 25, all road right-of-way excavation activities in Metro Manila will be suspended. This includes road reblocking, pipe-laying, road upgrading, and other excavation works that could disrupt the smooth flow of traffic.
However, government flagship projects such as bridge repairs and construction by the Department of Public Works and Highways, flood interceptor catchment projects, and emergency leak repairs are exempt from this suspension.
Mall and shopping center owners in Metro Manila have also agreed to adjust their opening hours to 11 a.m., one hour later than the usual 10 a.m., until Christmas Day.
“The closing time for malls will depend on the operators’ preferences, but we encourage them to extend their hours to give the public more time for errands and last-minute shopping,” said MMDA chairman Don Artes.
There are 131 malls in the National Capital Region, with 29 located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
While mall-wide sales will not be permitted, individual stores or outlets in the malls may hold sales on weekdays, provided that no announcements, advertisements, or tarpaulins are displayed.
The MMDA has also implemented a ban on daytime deliveries to shopping malls and commercial centers. Deliveries will only be allowed at night, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day, except for perishable goods such as food and ice.
