Contrary to the usual surge of travelers after the Holy Week break, commuters returning to Manila on Monday experienced lighter traffic and faster travel times, particularly near the Pasay terminal.

Several commuters expressed surprise at the smoother flow of vehicles, noting that the expected congestion did not materialize.

Joyce, 22, a student from Batangas, said her trip was shorter than usual. “Usually, the travel time reaches about two to three hours depending on traffic, but now it feels like the traffic is less,” she said.

This observation was echoed by Mae, 40, a vendor, who noted that both traffic and passenger volume were more manageable than expected.

“The traffic and number of people are okay now. There are actually more people on normal days than today,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jon, 25, said he initially anticipated heavy traffic when he left Cavite during rush hour but was surprised by how quickly the trip went.

“The trip was fast. I even thought it would be crowded and traffic-heavy since it was already rush hour when I left Cavite,” he said.

“My usual travel time is around two hours, but now it only took about an hour. Normally, when we reach the Pasay stretch, traffic is really heavy, vehicles barely move and only advance every 10 to 20 minutes.”

Despite the expected influx of returning commuters, the manageable traffic flow provided a more convenient and less stressful return to the metro, marking an uncommon but welcome end to the Holy Week exodus.