The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is set to implement a five-minute response policy for traffic accidents across major roads in Metro Manila, following the completion of training and dry runs.
MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III said the quick response is critical as road collisions further worsen congestion.
“We will launch this — this is our last week of training and dry-testing — our five-minute response for all roads,” Torre said in a GMA TV interview.
“We know that the roads are already congested as they are. It will become even more congested when there is a collision,” he added.
Torre discussed the initiative separately with San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and Pateros Mayor Gerald German, exchanging plans and possible collaborative projects with local governments.
He outlined strategies to improve MMDA response times to road accidents, particularly along primary thoroughfares.
Zamora, who also serves as president of the Metro Manila Council (MMC), said the mayors are open to working with the MMDA on programs aimed at improving mobility and development in the National Capital Region.
He added that the removal of street pay parking in San Juan City has helped improve traffic flow.
In Pateros, Torre said the MMDA aims for a five-minute response to road collisions and a 10-minute response for clearing operations. He also toured the town’s command center, which operates around 500 closed-circuit television cameras.
German welcomed the continued coordination and strong working relationship between the MMDA and the local government.
Torre, the former Philippine National Police chief, earlier pushed for a three-minute response time to crime incidents during his stint in the police force.
He was appointed MMDA general manager last month by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., replacing Procopio Lipana.
Addressing broader traffic concerns, Torre assured the public that the MMDA is working to ease congestion.
“We assured that the MMDA is working diligently to find solutions for the daily ordeal we are experiencing,” he said.
A recent TomTom Traffic Index showed that traffic congestion worsened in 2025, with Davao City ranked as the most congested city in the Philippines and 12th globally, while Manila ranked 40th worldwide.
The study also found Manila’s congestion level rose to 57 percent, up from the previous year.
The MMDA was established during the administration of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and was reorganized under Republic Act 7924, which mandates the agency to oversee metro-wide services including traffic management, waste disposal, flood control, urban planning, and public safety.
