‘Asean ang traffic?:’ Navigating Metro Manila’s roads during the Summits

“In a traffic jam, find ways to amuse yourself, like listening to music. Be conscious of your environment. Always lock the doors.”

This was one of several pieces of advice I got from my long-time source Dr. Ted “Everest” Esguerra, who specializes in survival medicine, 8 years ago for an article on how to keep your cool on the road.

Cardiologist and former Inquirer resident health columnist Dr. Raffy Castillo wrote in October 2015 of other health risks traffic congestion poses to road users and even traffic enforcers, such as heart attack and stroke. Back then, he urged authorities to place heart defibrillators in strategic locations in traffic prone areas like Edsa.

I also remember some time ago that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) planned on imposing mandatory 30-minute rest periods for their on-street personnel.

I hope the MMDA keeps that in mind today and in the next few days for its 2,600 personnel, street sweepers, and pre-positioned tow truck drivers and staff during the high-level Asean Summit and other related meetings taking place in Metro Manila.

As heads of state from all 11 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member nations and 9 dialogue partners converge on Metro Manila today (official opening ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center followed by plenary and retreat sessions) through Wednesday for the 49th Asean Summit and related summits, the capital’s thoroughfares transform once again into high-security diplomatic corridors.

For everyday motorists and commuters, a summit week of this scale understandably triggers flashbacks to standstill traffic, sudden barricades, and missed flights. So, it’s a good thing that Proclamation No. 1447 has declared tomorrow, Monday (Nov. 16), through Wednesday (Nov. 18) as special non-working days across the National Capital Region. That should significantly ease the stress of traffic congestion.

Taking its cue from that, the MMDA has also suspended the Expanded Number Coding Scheme across Metro Manila for the same period. That gives ordinary motorists who do need to be on Metro Manila’s roads these days some breathing room on secondary roads, provided they steer clear of the summit’s primary security perimeters.

This week’s gathering should also provide an interesting glimpse of how our transport leadership manages such a major mobility stress test. And on top of that, how the region itself is quietly electrifying its transport fleet.

While MMDA officials have stressed that there will be no Metro Manila-wide lockdown, strict security exclusion zones remain enforced around the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex in Pasay City. Access to Atang Dela Rama, Vicente Sotto, Pedro Bukaneg, and Magdalena Jalandoni Streets is completely closed to regular traffic. Motorists are likewise strongly advised to bypass Macapagal Boulevard, Diokno Boulevard, the World Trade Center vicinity, and stretches of Roxas Boulevard, using EDSA and Seaside Boulevard as primary alternates. Container trucks, meanwhile, are barred from Roxas Boulevard through Nov. 18 and must stick to designated port-to-highway diversion routes.

Along EDSA, two lanes have been dedicated exclusively to delegate convoys, backed by a full-force deployment of over 2,600 MMDA personnel, street sweepers, and pre-positioned tow trucks. If you need to be at the Makati Central Business District—particularly along Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue, Paseo de Roxas, and Arnaiz Avenue—allow for up to 40 minutes of extra travel time for intermittent stop-and-go convoy holds, and take note of temporary loop rerouting for Washington–Ayala jeepneys. And if you are catching a flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) between now and Thursday, double-check your airline’s advisories before leaving home; over 300 domestic and international flights have been rescheduled or canceled to clear airspace and tarmac slots for state arrivals.

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Once you get past the detours, however, take a closer look at the convoys gliding down those cleared lanes.

For the 49th Asean Summit, Toyota Motor Philippines, through its luxury arm Lexus Philippines, stepped up as an official mobility partner, deploying a fleet of Lexus LS 500h hybrid sedans and LM 350h luxury hybrid MPVs on a loan basis with dedicated technical teams to ferry visiting leaders and delegates.

Putting electrified powertrains at the center of high-profile diplomatic motorcades may seem like a subtle detail, yet it carries symbolic and practical weight. In dense, stop-and-go urban traffic—the exact conditions state convoys and everyday Metro Manila commuters share—hybrid systems shine by running silently on electric power at low speeds, cutting idling fuel burn, and curbing localized tailpipe emissions in the urban core. Moreover, structuring the fleet as a temporary loan rather than an outright government purchase demonstrates a fiscally sensible model for deploying cleaner vehicles during major international events.

This practice echoes the policy momentum building behind closed doors. Just days before the leaders arrived, industry stakeholders, energy officials, and regional delegates gathered in Makati for the Asean EV Conference 2026 under the theme “Driving Asean Forward.” From pushing harmonized EV standards across Southeast Asia to local government units like Mandaluyong showcasing green building ordinances and streamlined charging-station permits, the conversation is rapidly moving from white papers to public infrastructure.

Hosting events of such magnitude as the Asean Summit will always test the patience, flexibility, and resilience of Metro Manila road users. Plan your routes early, take advantage of the three-day coding suspension, and pack a little extra grace for the traffic enforcers working double shifts on the asphalt. With any luck, the regional cooperation unfolding at the PICC this week will keep accelerating the transition toward cleaner, quieter, and smarter mobility on the roads we share long after the convoys go home.