MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said it “agrees” with the Quezon City Council’s proposal to postpone the closure of the Tandang Sora flyover and intersection.

On Wednesday, February 20, the House committee on Metro Manila development held a hearing on the planned closure, originally set to begin 11 pm on Saturday, February 23, for the construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT7) Tandang Sora Station.

Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said they want to postpone it for a week. She raised concerns during the hearing that their constituents have yet to be properly informed about it.

In an interview with reporters, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said “he would recommend” the postponement of the closure.

“Kasi we need to clear all roads to maximize ‘yung streets natin, [para] kahit mag-alternate route man ang ating mga kababayan, madaming puwedeng daanan. So, I agree with them. I would recommend it,” Garcia said.

(We need to clear all roads to maximize our streets, so even if our motorists use alternate routes, they will still have options to choose from. So I agree with them. I would recommend it.)

LOOK: Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte’s letter to MMDA asking to postpone the closure of Tandang Sora flyover and intersection to March 1, instead of the original schedule on February 23 at 11 pm. | via @reyaikapic.twitter.com/XsaBfhfr4l

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) February 20, 2019

Garcia told Rappler in a phone interview that the MMDA will have to seek permission from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), but will “come up with an advisory soon.”

Rappler reached out to the DOTr for comment, but the agency has yet to reply as of posting.

The 23-kilometer MRT7, which will run from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan, will have 14 train stations that will take 30 minutes to travel end-to-end.

The planned MRT7 Tandang Sora Station is among the 3 stations targeted by the DOTr to be completed first to allow partial operations.

The MRT7 will be connected to the existing MRT Line 3 and Light Rail Transit Line 1 via a common station along EDSA. – Rappler.com