Two and a half hours: The amount of time it takes for me to get home from Ateneo to Las Piñas. My route going home involves taking two train rides, one bus ride, then a tricycle to enter my village. It’s an exhausting routine that I’ve gotten used to in the last three years, but it’s about to change for the worse.

Last February 17, news of the “Traffic Armagaddeon” started spreading across different news outlets. In a span of one night, the Internet was ablaze with netizens’ reactions ranging from passive-aggressive quips of “Luh, bahala na” to various curse words unworthy of mention.

Both the Skyway Stage 3 project and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway Phase 2 project are part of the government’s long-term plan to reduce traffic congestion in Metro Manila. In the meantime, however, traffic congestion is expected to intensify during their construction, which commenced on February 18.

While urban planners and engineers are finding ways to appease traffic congestion, others seem to be out to create more problems. For example, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino has proposed a four-day school week for grade school and high school students. He said that the public should “make adjustments in their work and travel schedules and personal lifestyles to cope with the expected traffic congestion.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) has expressed its willingness to consider the proposal. The Commission on Higher Education has also expressed support for it.

It seems as if only a few people are surprised by the fact that the public was informed of the construction just days before it actually started. Could there have been a way to consult other government agencies and inform the public about the impending chaos? Yes, but unfortunately they’ve only decided to do it now.

The lack of comprehensive preparation is now resulting in ideas that can aggravate the situation. Shifting to a four-day school week will likely worsen the state of elementary and secondary education.

Here is a government that has put into law the K-12 program to decongest curricula, and is now considering working against its own policy by compressing classes to a four-day school week. This will not only run counter to the newly placed curricula, but will also complicate DepEd’s requirement of completing at least 180 school days every school year.

Clearly, the lack of discernment has left government agencies scrambling for solutions. Traffic management strategies must be placed immediately as well as an inclusive system of cooperation between urban planners and the government.

Good intentions don’t always translate to good results. While it’s good that the MMDA is trying to collaborate with other parties, it is important that proposals like these be studied carefully and executed properly. After all, convincing more than 11 million people to change their lifestyles can’t be done with the flip of a switch.