MMDA to deploy 2,419 personnel for Undas, ASEAN Summit

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will deploy 2,419 personnel for Undas 2026 while implementing traffic restrictions and other measures ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit.

The 2,419 personnel will be deployed around major cemeteries, including Manila North Cemetery, Manila South Cemetery, Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, San Juan Public Cemetery and Bagbag Public Cemetery in Quezon City.

“We are strengthening our preparations for Undas and the ASEAN Summit in coordination with our partner agencies and local government units to ensure public safety and the orderly movement of people and vehicles,” MMDA Chairman Don Artes said.

The MMDA will also provide medical assistance and emergency response services, while its Metro Parkways Clearing Group will conduct cleanup operations around cemeteries from 25 October to 3 November.

MMDA Traffic Discipline Office Director Vic Nuñez said the agency would coordinate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police to conduct surprise drug testing on bus drivers and conductors at selected terminals.

Temporary permit suspension

For the ASEAN Summit, the MMDA and the National Organizing Committee are preparing traffic measures that include the temporary suspension of permits for fun runs, motorcades, processions and similar public events from 24 October to 20 November.

The restrictions will cover Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Makati and Taguig, where authorities are preparing for the regional gathering.

Partial restrictions at the Philippine International Convention Center and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex will begin on 24 October, followed by a full lockdown starting 7 November.

A moratorium on road excavation will also take effect on 1 November and remain in place until midnight of 23 December.

“The temporary suspension is expected to alleviate traffic congestion, allowing commuters and businesses to experience fewer disruptions during this period of increased vehicular activity,” said Artes.###