Manila Protest March To Block Roads November 30, 2025

Published on Nov 28, 2025, 9:37 am CST

8 min read

Key points

Manila protest march road closures November 30 will shut parts of Roxas Boulevard and Bonifacio Drive near Luneta Park
MMDA traffic plan diverts trucks through inner north Manila streets and pushes light vehicles from Roxas Boulevard toward United Nations Avenue and side roads
Police expect crowds of up to 300000 and will deploy over 15000 officers with assistance desks at Liwasang Bonifacio and Plaza Salamanca
EDSA contingency plans could reroute bus carousel services and private vehicles near Ortigas and White Plains if protests spill over
Travelers should avoid nonessential trips through central Manila and allow extra time or use Skyway and NAIA Expressway for airport runs on November 30

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Expect heavy congestion and intermittent closures along Roxas Boulevard, Bonifacio Drive, Luneta Park approaches, and possibly parts of EDSA near Ortigas and White Plains
Best Times To Travel: Early morning before 9 a.m. or late evening after major rally dispersal are likely to be less congested than late morning and afternoon
Onward Travel And Changes: Airport transfers between Ninoy Aquino International Airport and bayfront, Intramuros, Makati, or Ortigas districts may need longer routes and extra buffer time
What Travelers Should Do Now: Rebook tight itineraries, plan airport runs outside the protest window when possible, and map alternative routes that avoid Roxas Boulevard and Luneta
Health And Safety Factors: Stay clear of dense crowds unless you plan to participate, follow police instructions near cordons, and keep documents and valuables secured in busy areas

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The Manila protest march road closures November 30, 2025, will shut key corridors across central Manila as the Trillion Peso March anti corruption rally converges on Luneta Park. Visitors transferring between Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), bayfront hotel zones, Intramuros, Makati, and Ortigas will face heavy congestion, rolling diversions, and possible missed meetings if they travel near the march window. Travelers should allow extra buffer on airport runs, consider using the Skyway and NAIA Expressway instead of Roxas Boulevard, and avoid nonessential trips through the affected districts.

The new traffic management plan for the Trillion Peso March means that Manila protest march road closures on November 30 will significantly disrupt normal road access to central hotels and business corridors, especially routes that usually link NAIA to the bayfront and downtown.

Where Roads Will Close

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, MMDA, expects a massive mobilization starting around 9:00 a.m. on November 30 and warns that heavy congestion will ripple across key approaches to Luneta and the central business districts. To accommodate marchers, MMDA will fully close both lanes of Bonifacio Drive from Anda Circle to P. Burgos Avenue and shut northbound and southbound Roxas Boulevard between Katigbak Drive and Kalaw Street.

Staging areas are designated at Liwasang Bonifacio and Plaza Salamanca near United Nations Avenue, both within walking distance of major hotel clusters and historic Intramuros. Marchers are expected to move from these gathering points toward Luneta Park, with authorities reserving flexibility to widen or shrink closure zones as crowds build. That means roads can reopen temporarily during lulls, then close again without much warning.

The MMDA plan splits traffic by vehicle type. Trucks and other heavy vehicles coming from Mel Lopez Boulevard, also marked as R 10, and normally bound for Roxas Boulevard will be diverted inland via Capulong Street, Yuseco Street, and Lacson Avenue, pushing more freight traffic through already tight neighborhood roads. For light vehicles heading southbound, motorists leaving Quirino Avenue for Roxas Boulevard will be routed to the service road, then pushed toward United Nations Avenue and side streets such as M. H. del Pilar when westbound movements are blocked near the bay.

Authorities have also prepared contingency measures for Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, EDSA, in case parallel protests or solidarity marches spill toward the Ortigas and White Plains area. If closures develop near White Plains, northbound private vehicles may be routed through Guadix Drive or Shaw Boulevard via J. Vargas and Meralco Avenue, while EDSA Bus Carousel services could be shifted onto Bonny Serrano Avenue before rejoining at Main Avenue Station. These changes would affect both commuters staying in Ortigas hotels and travelers using EDSA as a backup route between NAIA and Quezon City.

Security And Crowd Management

Philippine National Police, PNP, officials say they will deploy 15,097 officers to secure the Trillion Peso March rallies nationwide on November 30, with 8,805 personnel assigned to the National Capital Region and thousands more from regional units and the Special Action Force. The deployment includes nearly 1,000 officers around the People Power Monument and EDSA Shrine, plus additional contingents at Mendiola, Ayala Bridge, and other chokepoints around Malacañang Palace.

Separate coverage from Manila based outlets quoting police officials indicates that up to 300,000 people could join the November 30 protests, including large contingents converging on EDSA for Bonifacio Day commemorations and anti corruption speeches. That scale matters for travelers because even peaceful crowds of that size will overwhelm normal road capacity, spill into adjacent side streets, and force informal crossing and staging points that do not appear on detour maps.

The Manila Police District has publicly committed to a stance of "maximum tolerance," but has also underlined red lines drawn from the first Trillion Peso March, when some late day clashes at Mendiola and Ayala Bridge led to injuries and arrests. Mendiola remains off limits, and police are advising groups to use Liwasang Bonifacio, which is a designated freedom park, if they want to avoid confrontation with security cordons near Malacañang.

For visitors, the practical detail is that police assistance and medical desks will be set up around Plaza Salamanca and Liwasang Bonifacio, alongside Luneta and other convergence points, while additional patrols monitor EDSA and NAIA access roads. Travelers who do run into closures or unexpectedly dense crowds near these areas should follow officer instructions, use the nearest side street to exit, and avoid pushing through thick crowd columns with luggage.

Impact On Hotels, Malls, And NAIA Transfers

Roxas Boulevard is the main bayfront artery that links many of Manila's seafront hotels in Ermita and Malate to Intramuros, Rizal Park, and government buildings, and it also serves some transfers between NAIA and the waterfront. With the section from Katigbak to Kalaw closed and adjacent stretches slowed to a crawl, guests at hotels along the bay should expect long waits for taxis or rideshares and should budget extra time even for short cross town trips.

Airport transfers are the biggest pain point. Many scheduled services and private drivers already prefer the Skyway and NAIA Expressway, which connect NAIA to Makati and parts of EDSA without using Roxas Boulevard. On November 30, that preference will harden into a requirement for most travelers, since Roxas and Bonifacio Drive will not be reliable routes while marchers and police occupy Luneta and the port approaches. Even with elevated highways, however, pressure at interchanges near Mall of Asia and Macapagal Boulevard is likely to rise as taxis, shuttles, and private vehicles all converge on the same ramps.

Travelers staying in Makati or Ortigas should assume that midday and afternoon journeys to or from NAIA will take longer than usual, particularly if EDSA contingency plans are activated near the Ortigas and White Plains corridor. When possible, business travelers can shift departure times earlier in the day, reschedule meetings outside the rally window, or work from hotel conference spaces instead of crossing town.

Sightseers planning to visit Intramuros, Rizal Park, or Manila Ocean Park on November 30 face a choice between joining the protest atmosphere or scheduling those outings for another day or very early morning. Access on foot is likely to remain possible, but vehicular approaches will be erratic, and pedestrian crossings may be temporarily controlled by police in certain blocks. Families with small children or travelers with mobility issues may find the combination of heat, crowds, and police lines challenging.

Background: Trillion Peso March And The November 30 Rally

The Trillion Peso March is part of a broader wave of anti corruption protests in the Philippines that began with large rallies on September 21, 2025, focused on alleged anomalies in flood control and climate resilience projects. Environmental groups and civil society organizations argue that billions of dollars in infrastructure spending have been misused or diverted, and they deliberately tied the first march to the anniversary of the 1972 declaration of martial law to underscore concerns about accountability and democratic norms.

The November 30 event falls on Bonifacio Day, a national holiday, which makes it easier for participants from labor, church, and student organizations to turn out in large numbers while also concentrating road demand into a narrower band of leisure and protest related trips, rather than routine office commutes. For travelers, the politics matter mainly because they help explain why authorities are preparing for such large crowds and why security forces are keen to avoid a repeat of the late day violence seen at the first march.

How Travelers Can Mitigate Disruption

For airport runs, the safest strategy is to schedule departures outside the core rally period when possible, aim to leave central Manila at least one to two hours earlier than usual, and favor routes that use the Skyway and NAIA Expressway rather than Roxas Boulevard. Travelers connecting between NAIA and Makati or Bonifacio Global City should ask drivers to avoid Luneta and the bayfront entirely, even if navigation apps suggest a slightly shorter time through affected corridors.

Guests staying in bayfront hotels can treat November 30 as a semi locked day, planning local activities they can reach on foot, such as nearby museums or short waterfront walks, while avoiding cross city trips until traffic normalizes. Those with fixed commitments in Ortigas, Quezon City, or the Alabang area might consider relocating for a night or coordinating rides with local contacts who know alternative back routes.

If you choose to observe or participate in the march, use the same basic precautions you would apply in any large urban crowd. Keep valuables close, carry only essential documents, stay clear of any confrontations between demonstrators and police, and have a pre agreed meeting point in case your group is separated. Once you leave the rally area, move back toward major roads or rail stations before calling for cars, because pickup drivers may not be able to reach streets immediately adjacent to Luneta or Liwasang Bonifacio.