2025 Number Coding in Manila: An Updated Guide for Motorists
By: Melecio Martin G. Arranz IV
Rush hour in Metro Manila occurs daily. To tame the traffic beast, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) implements the number coding scheme. This 2025 guide shows how the system uses license plate numbers to assign specific days when affected vehicles have limited access to major roads during peak hours.
Savvy motorists know this code and meticulously plan their journeys to avoid the dreaded coding hours. However, navigating this system can be a bumpy ride for the uninitiated.
If you’re the latter, this blog is for you. It discusses number coding in Manila so you can navigate the metropolitan streets and get to your neighborhood essentials with confidence and ease.
Successfully navigating Manila’s coding scheme, along with the broader traffic patterns of Metro Manila, is key for residents and professionals commuting daily to major hubs. Whether you’re heading to the bustling business centers in Makati or Taguig, accessing commercial areas in Quezon City, or reaching key destinations in Pasay, understanding these regulations is crucial for efficient travel and making the most of living in these vibrant locations
What is the MMDA number coding scheme schedule?
The MMDA number coding scheme schedule restricts private vehicles from traveling on certain roads on weekdays based on the last digit of their license plate. Vehicles with plates ending in 1 and 2 are restricted on Mondays, 3 and 4 on Tuesdays, 5 and 6 on Wednesdays, 7 and 8 on Thursdays, and 9 and 0 on Fridays. The scheme is generally implemented during morning rush hour (7 AM to 10 AM) and evening rush hour (5 PM to 8 PM). It is suspended on weekends and public holidays.
What is the Coding Window hours for Metro Manila?
The standard coding window hours for most of Metro Manila are from 10:01 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. and from 8:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. the following day, during which coded vehicles are allowed on the road. The only major exception is Makati City, which does not have any window hours.
Number of Coding Hours per City
The number coding scheme generally applies on most Metro Manila roads from Monday to Friday. However, the MMDA makes transportation in Metro Manila more flexible by designating window hours that allow you to be on the road. The only exception to these window hours is Makati City, which has its own traffic coding scheme.
What are Caloocan’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Caloocan are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Las Pinas’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Las Pinas are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Makati’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Makati are from 7 AM to 7 PM. There are no window hours.
What are Mandaluyong’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Mandaluyong are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Malabon’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Malabon are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Manila’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Manila are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Marikina’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Marikina are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM (only on Marilaque/Marcos Highway). The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Muntinlupa’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Muntinlupa are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM (only on Alabang-Zapote Road). The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Navotas’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Navotas are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Paranaque’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Paranaque are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Pasay’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Pasay are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Pasig’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Pasig are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Pateros’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Pateros are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Quezon City’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Quezon City are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are San Juan’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in San Juan are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Taguig’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Taguig are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
What are Valenzuela’s Coding Hours and Window Hours?
The coding hours in Valenzuela are from 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM. The window hours are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
Which Roads Follow the Number Coding Scheme?
The following major roads observe MMDA’s number coding scheme.
- Araneta Avenue
- Aurora Boulevard
- Bonifacio Avenue
- C5
- C6
- Del Pan
- EDSA
- Magsaysay Boulevard
- Marcos Highway
- Ortigas Avenue
- Quezon Avenue
- Quirino Avenue
- Recto Avenue
- Rizal Avenue
- Roxas Boulevard
- Shaw Boulevard
- South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)
- Taft Avenue
What are the number coding exemptions in Metro Manila?
Number coding in Metro Manila has exceptions for certain roads and vehicle types, even though the system applies to the city. Here are exemptions you should take note of.
Roads
- Samson Road, Caloocan
- Sales Road
- MIA Road
- Ninoy Aquino Avenue
- Domestic Road
- BGC
- Skyway
- NAIA Expressway
- Parts of Airport Road
- Parts of Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly Buendia)
- Other tollways and sections of toll roads that pass through Metro Manila
Vehicles
- Electric and hybrid vehicles
- Public utility vehicles or PUVs (including tricycles)
- Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS)
- Motorcycles
- Garbage trucks
- Fuel trucks
- Ambulances
- Fire trucks
- Marked government vehicles
- Marked media vehicles
- Motor vehicles that carry essential or perishable goods
Since Makati City has a different coding scheme, it only honors the following exemptions:
- Ambulances, fire trucks, police patrol cars, and military vehicles on official function
- Vehicles with diplomatic plates
- Marked government vehicles
- Marked media vehicles in official use
- Makati City-accredited tow trucks
- Vehicles used by medical practitioners during emergencies
- Vehicles with Senior Citizen Blu Card holders as drivers or passengers
Frequently Asked Questions About the Number Coding Scheme
1. What are the window hours in number coding?
Except for Makati City, the window hours in Metro Manila are from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM and 8:01 PM to 6:59 AM the following day.
2. Is there a number coding in Metro Manila on holidays and weekends?
The MMDA suspends number coding in Metro Manila on holidays and weekends. It also lifts the scheme during calamities, public transport failures, and sometimes on special occasions, such as the day of the president’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
3. Are healthcare workers exempted from number coding in Metro Manila?
As of May 2022, the MMDA only exempts cars that doctors drive or ride in from the number coding scheme. To avoid a citation ticket, they must present a valid Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) ID. Other healthcare workers must still follow coding in Manila.
4. Are motorcycles exempt from the number coding scheme?
Motorcycles do not follow the coding in Metro Manila, except in Makati City.
5. What is the penalty for number coding violations?
The typical penalty varies between ₱300 and ₱500, depending on the location of the violation. You should settle the fine within seven days to avoid an increase and potential implications on your driver’s license renewal.
Live Smart, Beat the Code
Metro Manila’s number coding scheme might seem like a riddle wrapped in a maze. The key? Pick a real estate location near your workplace and daily essentials to breeze through the coding scheme without stress.
Federal Land unlocks the key to convenient city living with stunning ready-for-occupancy (RFO) condominiums across key cities, such as Pasay, Taguig, Manila, Makati, San Juan, and Quezon City. Imagine skipping the rush hour grind and relishing leisurely mornings instead—all thanks to a home near your workplace and social spaces.
If you’re frequently on the road, living in a well-connected area can make all the difference. Consider condo for sale in Pasay, where proximity to major highways and transport hubs helps make city travel more convenient.
Discover more on the Federal Land website, one of the leading real estate developers in the Philippines.
Melecio Martin G. Arranz IV
Digital Marketing Head
Martin is an experienced marketer with over 16 years of experience across various industries including real estate, banking and finance, technology, and advertising.
Martin has a broad range of expertise in having handled campaigns, brand launches, activations both in the traditional and digital space. Currently serving as the Digital Marketing Head at Federal Land, Martin leads a team focused on managing digital sales and platforms for the residential, estates and commercial business units.