Edsa rush hour traffic is a problem you have no control over. Metro Manila, however, offers many alternative routes you can take to avoid getting stuck in the heavy traffic on the city’s highway. Alternately, you can move to a city that allows you to commute easily. For example, live in a condo in or near Makati City.
Why Makati?
A “Walkable” Central Business District
Makati is a class 1 highly urbanized city (HUC) in Metro Manila. It’s also the financial capital of the Philippines with many multinational companies and big local corporations making it the location of their headquarters.
Going around the city is easier, thanks to the many walkways. Makati has plenty of footbridges and underpasses where employees can pass through. Almost every building in the city is accessible because of the walkways that link one establishment to another.
Walking is, without a doubt, good for the health. A 20 to 30-minute walk every day is great conditioning for your body before work. It’s also helps you save money; instead taking a cab from, for example, your office in Paseo de Roxas to Rockwell, you can just walk.
More people walking in the city help reduce traffic congestion. With more feet on the streets and fewer cars on the road, you may see smooth and light traffic flow. If you have a car, you don’t have to spend too much on gas when you choose to walk on most days.
Routes to and from Makati
Makati is a fairly accessible city. There are many options for you to go from point A to B, whether you’re from the north or the south of Metro Manila.
The Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT) is one transportation means to consider. The line runs the north to south route, following along Edsa. You can get off at the Ayala Station or Buendia, depending on your destination.
Buses also pass through the avenue. But there are faster options, such as the new e-jeepney route from Makati to Mandaluyong. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) recently launched a route where passengers can travel between the two cities.
There are a total of 15 E-Sakay units, and the pick-up and drop-off locations are MRT Buendia Station and Mandaluyong City Hall. According to the LTFRB, the route will pass through Jupiter Street in Makati. This option is available from 5 AM to 12 midnight. And it only costs from P9 to P15.
Upcoming Projects to Ease Transportation
There are plans to make transportation easier within the metro. For instance, the Makati-Taguig Skytrain project may start the construction in the first or second quarter of 2019. The project involves the making of a two-kilometer skytrain monorail that traverses the two HUCs in Metro Manila.
The National Economic Development Authority, in partnership with Infracorp Development, Inc., projects the completion of the skytrain monorail by 2021. The project will reduce the travel time from Fort Bonifacio to MRT’s Guadalupe station in Makati and vice versa.
Commuting in Metro Manila can be exhausting and stressful. But the current infrastructure and the projects in line may make it more convenient for people traveling to and from Makati.
