SONA alert: MMDA reroutes traffic, schools suspend classes in QC

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) designated alternate routes for private and public utility vehicles for Monday, July 23, when President Benigno Aquino III is scheduled to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The MMDA traffic rerouting plan will be implemented along roads leading to the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City where the President will deliver his third SONA before the joint session of Congress.

Private Vehicles 

From Commonwealth/Fairview EDSA, private vehicles can:

• right turn to Regalado
• right turn to Dahlia
• left turn to Chestnut
• right turn to Old Sauyo Road
• left turn to Mindanao Ave.
• right turn to Congressional
• right turn to EDSA

From EDSA-Congressional, private vehicles can:

• right turn to Congressional
• left turn to Mindanao Ave.
• right turn to Old Sauyo Road
• left turn to Chestnut
• right turn to Dahlia
• left turn to Regalado
• left turn/right turn to Commonwealth

Public Utility Vehicles

At least 4 lanes for every direction will be opened for public utility vehicles along the Commonwealth Avenue counter-flow traffic stretching from the Superstar KTV – U-turn slot up to the San Simon U-turn slot.

Anticipating rallies, the MMDA is also set to deploy about 200 crowd control and management personnel for the SONA.

No classes 

Meanwhile, Quezon City Schools Division Superintendent Corazon Rubio announced that 29 public and private schools near the Batasan Complex area will suspend their respective classes on Monday.

There will be no classes in the following elementary schools:

• Bagong Silangan Elementary School
• Benigno Aquino Elementary School
• Commonwealth Elementary School
• Corazon Aquino Elementary School
• Culiat Elementary School
• Doña Juana Elementary School
• Fairview Elementary School
• Holy Spirit Elementary School
• Lagro Elementary School
• Lupang Pangako Elementary School
• Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School
• Melencio Castelo Elementary School
• New Era Elementary School
• North Fairview Elementary School
• Payatas B Elementary School
• Payatas B-Annex Elementary School
• Payatas C Elementary School
• San Diego Elementary School
• West Fairview Elementary School

Classes will also be suspended in the following high schools:

• Bagong Silangan High School
• Batasan Hills National High School
• Commonwealth High School
• Culiat High School
• Holy Spirit National High School
• Judge Cecilia Muñoz Palma High School
• Judge Feliciano Belmonte High School
• Lagro High School
• New Era High School
• North Fairview High School