MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has recommended Malacañang Palace to declare week-long holiday in Metro Manila for the country's hosting of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit in November 2017.
MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago specifically proposed to suspend classes on November 13, 14 and 15.
Pialago told ABS-CBN's Radyo Patrol that it's beneficial if there would be no classes and work to avoid heavy traffic on routes that would be used by ASEAN delegates to go to summit venues around the metro and in Clark, Pampanga.
On the Summit week, MMDA will implement stop-and-go traffic scheme or the routes where delegates will pass will be temporarily closed to traffic until the last car of the convoy had passed.
On Tuesday, Metro Manila Council (MMC) declared
cancellation of classes on November 16 and 17 for ASEAN Related Meetings. As clarified, suspension of work in government and private offices in NCR will come from the Malacañang.
It can be recalled that commuters in Metro Manila were stranded and have to endure long walks to get to work in the 2015 APEC summit.
The Task Force MMDA-ASEAN is currentlt doing a dry run with some of the affected roads include Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, North and South Luzon Expressways (NLEX and SLEX) and EDSA.
Trump to visit PH in NovemberPresidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella said US President Donald Trump will visit the country this November for the ASEAN Summit week. Trump's visit underscores the improving PH-US ties and President Rodrigo Duterte is looking forward to welcome the US President in Manila.
The Philippines’ year-long and third ASEAN Chairmanship coincides with the regional bloc’s 50th founding anniversary. It will be held together with ASEAN dialogue partners Australia, Canada, China, the European union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.