Road closures in Manila for the 2023 bar exams

The 2023 bar exam will be held on September 17, 20, and 24 and the chosen testing centers for Manila are San Beda University and the University of Santo Tomas. In anticipation of heavy traffic for the two main testing centers in Manila, the local city government will be closing down some roads as a precautionary measure.

The Manila Public Information Office (MPIO) has issued a notice regarding the temporary closure of several streets during specific hours on the mentioned dates. The affected areas include:

• Dapitan Street will be closed from 3:30 AM to 9 AM and again from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This closure extends from Lacson Avenue to Padre Noval Street.
• The two eastbound lanes of Legarda Street will be closed from San Rafael Street to Mendiola Street during the specified hours.
• Both lanes of Mendiola Street, running from the Peace Arch to Malacañang, will be temporarily closed.
• Both lanes of Concepcion Aguila Street, stretching from Mendiola to Jose Laurel Street, will also be affected by this temporary closure.
• Two westbound lanes of España Boulevard, spanning from Lacson Ave. to Padre Noval St., will also be closed during the specified dates, specifically from 2:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

The Supreme Court has designated additional testing locations, which include San Beda College Alabang, University of the Philippines – Diliman, Manila Adventist College (San Juan), and the University of the Philippines – Bonifacio Global City within Metro Manila

Outside of Manila, testing centers across the Philippines include Saint Louis University, Cagayan State University, University of Nueva Caceres in Luzon, University of San Jose – Recoletos, University of San Carlos, and Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation in the Visayas region, as well as Xavier University and Ateneo de Davao University in Mindanao.

As of writing this article, other cities where these testing centers are located have not issued any road closure notices, the Quezon City government has advised the public to anticipate heavy traffic congestion along University Ave., C.P. Garcia Ave., Katipunan Ave., and Commonwealth Ave. between 3:30 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM on the specified three days.

If you’re making a trip that will pass through the two testing centers in Manila, make sure to take note of the following road closures. Steer clear of any routes near the 14 testing centers as well to avoid getting stuck in traffic.