AFP opens camp to motorists to ease traffic

The Armed Forces of the Philippines will temporarily  open to motorists three gates at its headquarters in Quezon City, Camp Aguinaldo, to ease traffic during the holidays.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, chief of the AFP Public Affairs Office, was reacting to the proposal of the Inter Agency Council on Traffic (I-Act) to help decongest Edsa by giving motorists access to government property.

“We are hopeful that this will really help our public in a good way, especially those coming from C5 and Edsa. They could easily traverse these two major thoroughfares for ease and comfort,” Arevalo said, adding that other camps nationwide may also be opened should the experiment prove successful.

But at the same time, he appealed to motorists passing through Camp Aguinaldo to observe proper rules and maintain discipline.

According to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager Tim Orbos, they were still working out the details although the  gates would be open to private vehicles headed for or coming from Edsa, Katipunan Avenue and White Plains.

Vehicles will have to apply for an access card to be displayed on the windshield starting next week. The MMDA will assist the AFP in issuing stickers and managing traffic flow.

Meanwhile, MMDA traffic engineering center chief Noemie Recio said the Office of Transportation Security in Pasay City would knock down a wall to open an access road on Tramo (Aurora Boulevard) going to Andrews Avenue.

One-way traffic will be implemented on Airport Road starting from Domestic Road to Roxas Boulevard.

At the same time, an access road from Edsa southbound going to Jupiter Street in Makati City will be opened so that vehicles will not have to go around the Buendia intersection.

Orbos said the protocol for other areas were still being worked out such as the opening of an MMDA property on Roxas Boulevard, a GSIS property in Ortigas and another military camp in Bonifacio Global City. –Cynthia D. Balana