The University of the Philippines (UP) has warned motorists of heavy traffic in and around its Diliman campus in Quezon City as thousands of examinees were expected to arrive for the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) this weekend.
In an advisory, the UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (UP OVCCA) said 23 academic buildings in the campus would serve as testing centers from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
“Tinatayang aabutin ng mahigit sa 30,000 examinees sa bawat araw ng pagsusulit ang pupunta sa kampus kaya’t inaasahan ang pagbigat ng daloy ng trapiko sa loob ng kampus at sa mga kalapit na lugar nito,” the advisory read.
(An estimated 30,000 examinees is expected to arrive in the campus each testing day so expect a heavy volume of traffic in the campus and nearby areas.)
“Pinapayuhan ang lahat na humanap ng mga alternatibong ruta (Everyone is advised to seek alternative routes),” it added.
The academic oval has been closed to joggers and cyclists this weekend.
The UP OVCCA, in a memorandum issued Thursday, said a 10-second rule would be implemented for loading and unloading passengers at designated drop-off points, where a “No Parking/No Waiting Policy” would be enforced at the Academic Oval and three streets in UP Diliman.
One-way and two-way traffic schemes have been imposed in several streets, while parking areas have been designated sites inside the campus.
According to a report by Carlo Mateo on Super Radyo dzBB, some examinees were seen on Saturday taking motorcycle taxis to beat the traffic grind and make their testing schedule.
Successful first year college students will be admitted in the first semester of the school year 2025-2026.
The UPCAT resumed in 2023 after being halted for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has four subtests: language proficiency (in English and Filipino), reading comprehension (in English and Filipino), science, and mathematics.
The state university earlier announced that it has increased its testing sites to 113 from 102 last year.
It seeks to have at least one UPCAT test center in every province, to include Davao de Oro, Zamboanga Sibugay, Saranggani, Maguindanao del Sur, and Lanao del Sur.
While most of the additional testing sites are public high schools and colleges nationwide, UP had said that the UPCAT would also be held in Oman, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al Khobar for applicants based in the Middle East. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
