DPWH assures smooth traffic on Maharlika Highway during Undas

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Vince Dizon assured the public that the agency is working to ensure unobstructed traffic flow along the Maharlika Highway during the observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (Nov. 1 and Nov. 2), with ongoing road improvements expected to ease travel for motorists.

In an interview, Dizon said he ordered all regional directors to keep highways passable and prevent traffic disruptions, including one-way traffic schemes that force vehicles to stop and wait.

"President Marcos' instruction for Undas is to ensure smooth traffic flow. I instructed all regional directors to keep the Maharlika Highway continuously passable, without one-way traffic schemes," he said.

He cited the ongoing road works in Morera, Guinobatan, where three lanes are already available, and the fourth lane is nearing completion, as part of efforts to improve traffic movement during the holiday period.

"At least during Undas, traffic will continue to flow. There will be no more one-way schemes that force vehicles to stop and wait," he said.

Dizon stressed the importance of keeping highways free from obstructions to prevent additional travel delays for people visiting cemeteries and returning to their home provinces.

"We need to keep our highways free from obstructions during Undas so that, at the very least, our fellow Filipinos will not have to endure such a difficult journey," he said.

He added that the road improvements would make it easier for people to visit a cemetery located across the road, which previously could only be accessed through a narrow bridge.

The DPWH's preparations are part of the government's efforts to manage the expected increase in vehicle volume during Undas, when families travel to cemeteries to remember their departed loved ones. Keeping major roads passable and free from obstructions is intended to minimize bottlenecks and help motorists reach their destinations more efficiently.

Meanwhile, the Lakbay Alalay assistance program will continue throughout the holiday period in coordination with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Philippine National Police (PNP).