Coding Hours Today: Metro Manila’s Complete 2026 Number Coding Guide

ByTeam SW Solution

Coding hours today in most of Metro Manila run from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Friday, based on the last digit of your plate number. This is the MMDA’s number coding scheme, formally called the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP). Makati is the one major exception, restricting coded plates for a continuous stretch from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

If you’re trying to figure out whether you can drive right now, the two things that matter are your plate’s last digit and which city road you’re on, because, as the coding hours guide breaks down, the rules aren’t identical everywhere.

What Is the MMDA Number Coding Scheme (UVVRP)?

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority introduced number coding in 1995 to thin out traffic on congested roads like EDSA. The idea is simple: on any given weekday, vehicles with certain plate endings are barred from major thoroughfares during peak hours. It’s a rationing system, not a ban, your car isn’t restricted every day, only once a week, and only during specific windows.

Three decades on, the scheme is still the backbone of Metro Manila traffic management, and individual city governments: Quezon City among them, continue to reaffirm the standard schedule in their own local ordinances.

Number Coding Schedule by Plate Number

Here’s the weekly rotation that applies across most of Metro Manila:

DayRestricted Plate EndingsCoding Hours
Monday1, 27:00–10:00 AM & 5:00–8:00 PM
Tuesday3, 47:00–10:00 AM & 5:00–8:00 PM
Wednesday5, 67:00–10:00 AM & 5:00–8:00 PM
Thursday7, 87:00–10:00 AM & 5:00–8:00 PM
Friday9, 07:00–10:00 AM & 5:00–8:00 PM
Saturday & SundayNoneNo coding

Public holidays follow the same “no coding” rule as weekends, city-wide.

Window Hours: When Coded Vehicles Can Still Drive

Window hours are the gap between the morning and evening restrictions, 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM, when even a coded vehicle can use major roads freely. Add the overnight stretch, 8:01 PM to 6:59 AM the next day, and a coded car is actually free to move for most of the day. Only about six hours are genuinely off-limits.

This makes window hours the smart slot for errands, medical appointments, or government transactions that don’t require an early start. Makati drivers don’t get this benefit, since its 7 AM–7 PM restriction runs straight through without a midday break.

Want to know the alabang coding hours, visit the complete alabang coding hours guide.

City-Specific Coding Schedules

Not every city enforces the rule the same way:

  • Manila, Quezon City, Pasig: Standard MMDA schedule: 7–10 AM and 5–8 PM, with full window hours.
  • Makati: No window hours; coding applies continuously from 7 AM to 7 PM.
  • Mandaluyong: Standard hours, but only on three roads: EDSA, Ortigas Avenue, and Shaw Boulevard.
  • Muntinlupa: No citywide coding; it’s enforced only on Alabang–Zapote Road and Ayala–Alabang National Road.
  • Marikina and Taguig’s BGC interior roads: Coding is largely not enforced on local streets, though major roads like Marcos Highway still follow it.
  • Caloocan: Standard schedule, except Samson Road, which has its own rule.

Because LGUs can adjust hours, days, or covered roads at any time, always check your specific city before assuming the standard schedule applies.

Which Vehicles Are Exempt from Coding?

Certain vehicle types and situations are exempt from UVVRP restrictions:

  • Motorcycles and tricycles (not exempt in Makati)
  • Public utility vehicles, TNVS (Grab, InDrive, and similar LTFRB-accredited services)
  • Marked government, media, and fire vehicles; ambulances
  • Garbage trucks and vehicles carrying perishable or essential goods
  • Registered electric and hybrid vehicles under the EVIDA Law (RA 11697), exempt through April 15, 2030, mild hybrids don’t qualify
  • Doctors with valid PRC ID, and PWDs with a valid ID and vehicle sticker

Vehicles that don’t automatically qualify can apply for an MMDA exemption sticker by submitting a formal request with supporting documents and the OR/CR.

When Is Coding Suspended?

Coding lifts automatically on weekends, national holidays, and MMDA-declared calamity days (typhoon signals, for instance), with no separate announcement required. It’s also typically suspended on SONA day and during special MMDA-declared occasions. Confirm same-day suspensions through the MMDA’s official Facebook and X accounts, hotline 136, or your city’s traffic office page, navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps often reflect these updates automatically too.

Number Coding Violation Fines

Getting caught driving a coded vehicle during restricted hours typically costs ₱300 to ₱500, though the exact amount and process can vary slightly by city. Fines are generally expected to be settled within seven days; letting a ticket lapse can complicate your LTO license or registration renewal later on. You can check outstanding violations through MMDA’s official verification portal using your plate or MV file number, and pay via GCash, Maya, Landbank LinkBiz, Bayad Center, or MMDA offices directly.

Key Takeaway

Coding hours in Metro Manila boil down to one rule with a few local exceptions: know your plate’s last digit, respect the 7–10 AM and 5–8 PM windows, and double-check if you’re heading into Makati or another city with its own variation. Suspensions can happen with little warning, so it pays to verify before you head out, especially around holidays or bad weather.

For a real-time check on your coding day, city rules, and any active suspensions, visit codinghour.ph before your next drive.

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Coding Hours Today: Metro Manila 2026 MMDA Schedule

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