Holy Week 2026 Travel Overview
Holy Week (Semana Santa) is one of the busiest travel periods in the Philippines. Millions of Filipinos head to their home provinces, beach destinations, and pilgrimage sites. Philippine expressways experience their heaviest traffic volumes during the Wednesday-Thursday exodus and the Black Saturday-Easter Sunday return. Planning your departure time and route is crucial for a stress-free trip.
Best Departure Times
Based on historical traffic patterns on Philippine expressways during Holy Week:
- Wednesday before Holy Week: Depart before 5 AM or after 10 PM to avoid the worst traffic
- Holy Thursday: Expect heavy traffic all day. If possible, travel very early (3-5 AM) or delay until Friday
- Good Friday: Expressways are relatively clear as most travelers have already left Metro Manila
- Black Saturday: Return traffic builds from afternoon. Depart provinces early morning for best conditions
- Easter Sunday: Heavy return traffic from late morning through evening. Expect congestion at NLEX Balintawak and SLEX Magallanes toll plazas
Northbound Routes (NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX)
For travelers heading to Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, or Baguio via NLEX-SCTEX-TPLEX: The Balintawak entry point on NLEX is the primary bottleneck. Alternative entry points include Mindanao Ave. or Valenzuela exits. Make sure your Easytrip RFID has at least ₱1,000 balance for the full NLEX-SCTEX-TPLEX route. For Baguio travelers, the full toll is approximately ₱980 (Class 1).
Southbound Routes (SLEX, STAR Tollway, CALAX)
For travelers heading to Laguna, Batangas, or Tagaytay via SLEX: The Magallanes/Skyway entry is the main congestion point. Consider using Skyway Stage 3 from Buendia to bypass EDSA traffic, then connecting to SLEX. For Batangas Port (ferries to Mindoro), take SLEX to STAR Tollway — total toll approximately ₱379. For Tagaytay, SLEX to CALAX (Sta. Rosa/Tagaytay exit) is the fastest route.
RFID Preparation Tips
Before Holy Week travel, make sure you are prepared:
- Check both Autosweep and Easytrip RFID balances at least 2 days before departure
- Reload via GCash or Maya — but note online reloads can take up to 24 hours to reflect
- For instant reload, visit a toll plaza customer service center before your trip
- Carry cash as backup in case of RFID issues at toll plazas
- Download the Autosweep and Easytrip apps for real-time balance monitoring
Emergency Numbers and Resources
Save these numbers before your Holy Week trip:
- NLEX/SCTEX/TPLEX Patrol: 1-35000
- SLEX/Skyway/STAR Patrol: 136-36263
- Easytrip Hotline: (02) 8-3279-8747
- Autosweep Hotline: (02) 5318-8655
- PNP Highway Patrol: (02) 8723-0401
