The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the local government units of Pasig, Marikina, Antipolo, and Cainta signed a memorandum of understanding on August 26, 2026, at the MMDA Headquarters in Pasig City to establish a coordinated traffic management and transport operations protocol along Marcos Highway, a multi-jurisdictional corridor that links Rizal Province to central Metro Manila.
MMDA Chair Don Artes led the signing ceremony alongside Pasig Mayor Victor Ma. Regis “Vico” Sotto, Marikina Mayor Marjorie Ann Teodoro, Cainta Mayor Johnielle Keith Nieto, and Antipolo Mayor Casimiro Ynares III. The agreement aligns with an executive directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. calling for stronger inter-agency and inter-LGU coordination to resolve traffic congestion and improve urban mobility.
Artes said the MOU establishes a unified operational approach to address congestion, road obstructions, and traffic concerns along the highway, which crosses four distinct local jurisdictions.
Under the agreement, the MMDA and participating LGUs commit to continuous clearing of illegally parked or stalled vehicles, unauthorized terminals and structures, and ambulant vendors occupying sidewalks and public spaces that impede traffic flow within their respective segments. The parties also agreed to maintain adequate manning and supervision of the corridor at all times, with each LGU responsible for deploying sufficient traffic personnel along local inner roads that feed into Marcos Highway, subject to available staffing and resources.
Sotto acknowledged the initiative, noting that Pasig’s portion of Marcos Highway spans approximately 70 meters. He thanked the MMDA, specifically crediting Artes’s leadership for convening the four LGUs into a single traffic management framework. Teodoro, for his part, described the agreement as a constructive step toward unifying traffic management and stated it would materially benefit Marikina’s mobility conditions. Nieto thanked the MMDA for leading the coordination effort, while Ynares affirmed Antipolo’s readiness to operate within a unified system.
The establishment of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) followed a severe congestion event on December 6, 2025. Motorists on Marcos Highway endured nearly six hours of standstill, and some individuals remained trapped until the early hours of December 7. This incident highlighted deficiencies in the traffic response among different jurisdictions and led the LGUs and MMDA to formalize their coordination mechanisms.
The agreement adds Marcos Highway to the growing list of multi-jurisdictional corridors in Metro Manila under structured inter-LGU traffic management frameworks, reinforcing the MMDA’s role as a regional coordination body for transport infrastructure spanning municipal boundaries. Ed. – Armin Amio
