IN BRIEF: Holiday Safety and Security Advisory

Increased traffic congestion, public activity and mobility, and crimes of opportunity are anticipated in the coming weeks as the Christmas and end-year festivities draw near. PSA notes that the Christmas holiday period usually begins around the first week of December, peaking around the 2nd to the 3rd week of the month before ending around the first week of January. 

The Christmas holiday period in the Philippines is usually marked with an influx of travelers coming in and out of Metro Manila, along with traffic congestion in major ports and terminals. Heavy traffic and crowding are also expected during this period in the surrounding areas of central business districts, shopping malls, and churches, especially as “Simbang Gabi,” a nine-day dawn-time mass for Catholic church-goers in anticipation of Christmas, will start on Tuesday, December 16. 

Read the full assessment here.