Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major
circumferential road around
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, the capital city of the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. It passes through 6 of
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
's 17
local government units
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions, with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
# Regions () are mostly u ...
or cities, namely, from north to south,
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloo ...
,
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
,
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong ( ; ), officially the City of Mandaluyong (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly-urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...
,
Makati
Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
, and
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
.
Named after academic
Epifanio de los Santos, the section of the road from
Balintawak Interchange in Quezon City to
Magallanes Interchange in Makati connects the
North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and
South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). The avenue passes through the major financial districts of the metropolis which are
Triangle Park,
Araneta City
Araneta City (stylized in all lowercase), formerly and still commonly known as Araneta Center, is a Transit-oriented development, transit oriented, commercial Mixed-use development, mixed-use urban development in Quezon City, Philippines. Situ ...
,
Ortigas Center
Ortigas Center (also known as the Ortigas Central Business District or Ortigas CBD) is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City, within Metro Manila in the Philippines. With an area o ...
,
Makati CBD, and
Bay City. It is the longest and the most congested highway in the metropolis, stretching some .
Structure
The entire avenue forms part of
Circumferential Road 4 (C-4) of
Metro Manila's arterial road network, National Route 1 (N1) of the
Philippine highway network and Asian Highway 26 (AH26) of the
Asian Highway Network
The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via hig ...
.
The locations around the avenue were marked with great economic and industrial growth, proven by the fact that all but two industrial centers in the Metropolis are directly accessible from the thoroughfare. The decent economic growth of the areas around the avenue adds a significant volume of traffic on the avenue, and in recent estimates,
and an average of 385,096 vehicles go through it every day.
The avenue is a divided
carriageway, often consisting of 12 lanes, 6 in either direction, with the elevated railroads
Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 and
Manila Light Rail Transit System Line 1 often serving as its median. Although it is not an
expressway, traffic rules and speed limits are strictly implemented to the vehicles that pass along it. It is operated by the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...
and is maintained and constantly being repaired by the
Department of Public Works and Highways
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...
, whose maintenance over EDSA excludes the extension from
Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a tradem ...
to
SM Mall of Asia
SM Mall of Asia (also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA; ), is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Metro Manila, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area w ...
in Pasay.
Route description

EDSA starts from the
Bonifacio Monument
The Andrés Bonifacio Monument, commonly known simply as Bonifacio Monument or Monumento, is a memorial monument in Caloocan, Philippines, which was designed by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino to commemorate the Philippine revolutionary ...
(Monumento) Circle in
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloo ...
, its intersection with
MacArthur Highway
The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan at the north. It is t ...
,
Rizal Avenue
Rizal Avenue, also known as J. Rizal Avenue, Avenida Rizal or simply Avenida, is one of Manila's main thoroughfares, running with two to six lanes from its Santa Cruz, Manila, Santa Cruz and Quiapo, Manila, Quiapo districts to the Bonifacio M ...
Extension, and
Samson Road, the western side of the
C-4 Road. The roundabout is also the marker of the 1896 Revolution by
Andres Bonifacio
Andres or Andrés may refer to:
* Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US
* Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France
*Andres (name)
Andres or Andrés is a male given name. It can also be a ...
. The of the road are in Caloocan. The Avenue will then enter
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
through the Balintawak district, after an intersection with the
North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and
A. Bonifacio Avenue at the
Balintawak Interchange.
EDSA crosses much of the northern part of Quezon City, passing through the Balintawak, Muñoz, and Project 7 districts. It sharply curves southwards after crossing the North Avenue-West Avenue Intersection in the
Triangle Business Park. On the north side of EDSA is the
SM North EDSA
SM North EDSA (formerly known as The SM Center North EDSA, The SM City North EDSA and also known as SM City North EDSA) is a large shopping mall located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the first SM Supermalls, SM Supermall in ...
. In front of it are the
TriNoma mall and the Eton Centris or Centris Walk.
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center
The ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center (also called ABS-CBN Broadcast Center; formerly known as Broadcast Plaza from 1974 to 1986 and current edifice formerly spelled officially as ABS-CBN Broadcasting Centre) in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines is th ...
and its
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...
can be easily seen from EDSA and continues southwards, slightly turning westwards slowly until it leaves the
Triangle Park after crossing the East Avenue-Timog Avenue Intersection, where the
GMA Network Center
The GMA Network Center is the headquarters and broadcast complex of GMA Network, a major radio and television network in the Philippines. It is located at EDSA corner Timog Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the network's main television and ...
is located. It continues through the district of
Cubao, entering the
Araneta City
Araneta City (stylized in all lowercase), formerly and still commonly known as Araneta Center, is a Transit-oriented development, transit oriented, commercial Mixed-use development, mixed-use urban development in Quezon City, Philippines. Situ ...
after crossing the
Aurora Boulevard
Aurora Boulevard is a four-to-ten-lane major thoroughfare in Quezon City and San Juan, Metro Manila, San Juan in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is named after Don (honorific), Doña Aurora Quezon, the consort of Commonwealth of the Philippines, Co ...
Tunnel. In Cubao, several malls, infrastructure and offices are located. The Avenue curves southwards and crosses
Santolan Road near
Socorro, where the twin bases of Camps
Crame and
Aguinaldo are located. EDSA then continues on its route and serves as the boundary of the cities of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
and
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
.
Primex Tower, the tallest building in San Juan, is located on the southbound side of EDSA at its junction with Connecticut Street, while
People Power Monument can be seen on the northbound side of EDSA at its junction with White Plains Avenue. After in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
, EDSA will eventually leave the city, straddling along the boundary with
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
. EDSA enters
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong ( ; ), officially the City of Mandaluyong (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly-urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popula ...
after crossing the borders of the
Ortigas Center
Ortigas Center (also known as the Ortigas Central Business District or Ortigas CBD) is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City, within Metro Manila in the Philippines. With an area o ...
. In the Ortigas Center, some notable buildings around the area are the
Department of Migrant Workers
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW; ) is the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive department of the Politics of the Philippines, Philippine government responsible for the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare ...
building,
Robinsons Galleria
Robinsons Galleria (also known as Robinsons Galleria Ortigas) is a Mixed-use development, mixed-use complex and shopping mall located at EDSA (Circumferential Road 4, C-4) corner Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is t ...
,
SM Megamall, and the bronze
EDSA Shrine
The National Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, also known as Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine, Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish and commonly known as the EDSA Shrine, is a small church building, church of the Archdiocese of Manila located at the inte ...
, a memorial church to the 1986 People Power Revolution. It then curves smoothly westwards after it crosses
Boni Avenue and
Pioneer Street, and crosses the
Pasig River
The Pasig River (; ) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and Metro Manila, its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its m ...
via the
Guadalupe Bridge, leaving the city of Mandaluyong.
After crossing the Pasig River, EDSA enters the city of
Makati
Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
through Guadalupe, where it provides access to the
Rockwell Center
Rockwell Center is a high-end Mixed-use development, mixed-use neighborhood in the Poblacion area of Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines, named after James Rockwell, former President of Meralco, Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company (Meral ...
, a major mixed-use business park in Makati, through
J.P. Rizal Avenue. The highway also provides quick access to the city of
Taguig
Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
nearby. After crossing
Buendia Avenue, the highway enters the
Ayala Center
The Ayala Center is a mixed-use major commercial development operated by Ayala Land located in Barangay San Lorenzo within the Makati Central Business District in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. The complex comprises three shopping malls ...
, an important commercial district in the Philippines. It also cuts through the exclusive villages of
Bel-Air,
Forbes Park, Urdaneta,
Dasmariñas
Dasmariñas (), officially the City of Dasmariñas (), is a component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. With a land area of and a population of 703,141 people according to the 2020 census, it is the largest city both in terms of ...
, and Magallanes. The road then curves eastwards, continues on a straight route to the city of Pasay, and passing the
Chino Roces Avenue,
Osmeña Highway and
South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) through
Magallanes Interchange.
EDSA enters
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
shortly after crossing SLEX, Osmeña Highway, and Chino Roces Avenue in Makati. In Pasay, the highway provides access to
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ; ; ), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about south of ...
via a
flyover to
Tramo Street. EDSA would pass through Pasay Rotonda within
Taft Avenue
Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
and continues on a straight route until it crosses to
Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a tradem ...
. After crossing Roxas Boulevard, it becomes known as EDSA Extension and enters Central Business Park 1-A of the
Bay City reclamation area, where
SM Mall of Asia
SM Mall of Asia (also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA; ), is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Metro Manila, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area w ...
is located. EDSA's terminus is at the Globe Rotunda fronting SM Mall of Asia.
Bicycle lanes
The entire span of EDSA has one-way Class II
bike lane
Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor ...
s along both sides of the road, established as part of the national government's
Metropolitan Bike Lane Network and funded by the
Bayanihan to Recover as One Act during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the bicycle lanes along EDSA are paint separated while some sections have physical separation using
bollard
A bollard is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats. In modern usage, it also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to pre ...
s and concrete barriers.
Traffic management

The lead agency that manages the flow of traffic along EDSA is the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...
(MMDA), a government agency under the
Office of the President of the Philippines
The Office of the President of the Philippines (OP; ) is an administrative, advisory, and consultative government agency that aids the president of the Philippines in performing their duty as head of state and chief of the executive branch of g ...
and is advised by the Metro Manila Mayors League. One of the MMDA's traffic management schemes that is in effect on EDSA, among other major thoroughfares in the metropolis, is the
Uniform Vehicular Volume Reduction Program.
Many have observed that the cause of many
traffic jams
Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular Queuing theory, queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, ...
on EDSA is its change from being a highway to an avenue. This resulted the erection of erring establishment, buses and jeepneys. Subsequently, buses have been the target of other traffic management programs, like the MMDA's Organized Bus Route Program. The MMDA is strictly implementing also the Motorcycle and Bus laning in EDSA, making it the second highway in the Philippines ever to have such traffic rule to be enforced, after
Commonwealth Avenue.
The average speed of vehicles in EDSA is .
On January 18, 2016, strict implementation on bus lanes started on the
Shaw–Guadalupe segment, where plastic barriers are placed and prohibited entry of private vehicles and taxis on the bus lanes except when turning to EDSA's side streets.
Despite the plastic barrier, many private vehicles still enter the lanes.
In June 2020, bus routes in the avenue were rationalized, creating the
EDSA Carousel line carried by the new EDSA Busway. The EDSA Busway is separated from normal road traffic and now used only for buses and emergency vehicles. The new bus route spans from Monumento to PITX, while the busway is divided mostly by concreted barriers and steel fences. The old rightmost bus lanes were now opened for all vehicles, with the avenue now having total of four to five public-use lanes per direction instead of three, excluding interchanges.
Decongestion program
A decongestion program under the
Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Program is ongoing to help decongest EDSA (which is under overcapacity, carrying 402,000 vehicles daily while has the capacity of 288,000). This involves the construction of other roads and bridges that will divert traffic from the avenue. The government aims to reduce travel time from Cubao to Makati to 5–6 minutes.
History
Construction of what was then called the North and South Circumferential Road began in 1939 under
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...
, amidst Manila's rapid expansion. This necessitated inland growth and a planned new capital city, which became
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
.
The construction team was led by engineers Florencio Moreno and Osmundo Munsod,
integrating the former stretch of Calle Apelo Cruz from present-day Cabrera Street to Taft Avenue in
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
and
Calle Samson up to Balintawak in Quezon City to the east.
The road, starting from
North Bay Boulevard in
Navotas
Navotas, officially the City of Navotas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it ha ...
, then in the province of
Rizal, and ending at
Taft Avenue
Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
(formerly known as Taft Avenue Extension / Manila South Road) in
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
, also then in Rizal, was partially opened in 1940, shortly before the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the subsequent
Japanese occupation.
However, was then discontinuous due to the
Pasig River
The Pasig River (; ) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and Metro Manila, its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its m ...
.
It was then known as the Manila Circumferential Road or simply as Circumferential Road.
During the war, its section in Diliman Estate served as a runway of the Quezon Airfield, along with Malawen Boulevard (now
Quezon Avenue
Manuel L. Quezon Avenue, more often called Quezon Avenue or simply Quezon Ave, is a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila named after President Manuel Luis Quezon, the second president of the Philippines. The avenue starts at the Quezon Memori ...
). The road was also renamed to Highway 54 and thus designated as Route 54. Due to the route number, there was a common misconception on that time that the avenue is long.
The present-day North EDSA section in Caloocan and Quezon City was referred to as Calle Samson (Samson Street),
while its section in Pasay was also known as P. Lovina Street. It was later renamed as McArthur Boulevard in 1945,
and after the independence of the Philippines from the United States in 1946, it became known as Avenida 19 de Junio (June 19 Avenue), after the birth date of national hero
José Rizal
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...
.
In the 1950s, the northern end of the avenue was designated to its present terminus at
Bonifacio Monument
The Andrés Bonifacio Monument, commonly known simply as Bonifacio Monument or Monumento, is a memorial monument in Caloocan, Philippines, which was designed by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino to commemorate the Philippine revolutionary ...
in
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloo ...
and its part west of it later becoming
Samson Road, General San Miguel Street, and
Letre Road. The avenue was widened from two to four lanes during this decade.
Rizalists also wanted the avenue's name to remain 19 de Junio, while President
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh President of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an 1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash, aircraft disast ...
wanted the avenue named after Rizal. Residents of Rizal province (to which most parts of
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
belonged until 1975) wanted the avenue to be named after a Rizaleño: the historian, jurist and scholar named
Epifanio de los Santos y Cristóbal, who was born in
Malabon
Malabon, officially the City of Malabon (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north of the city of Manila, Malabon is ...
. The Philippine Historical Committee (now the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP; ) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritage through research, dissemination, conservation, sites management ...
), the Philippine Historical Association, the Philippine Library Association, Association of university and College Professors, the Philippine China Cultural Association, and the Philippine National Historical Society, led by fellow Rizaleños
Eulogio Rodriguez and
Juan Sumulong, supported the renaming of Highway 54 to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
On April 7, 1959, de los Santos' birth anniversary, Republic Act No. 2140 was passed, renaming the avenue to honor him.
Rapid urbanization in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly after the annexation of several Rizal towns to the newly established
National Capital Region, marked the growth of the industrial centers along the road, and several other roads connected to the avenue, such as
Ayala Avenue and McKinley Road in
Makati
Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
.
Construction of EDSA continued into the 1970s, including the construction of the
Guadalupe Bridge in the 1960s to connect its segments on the north and south banks of the
Pasig River
The Pasig River (; ) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and Metro Manila, its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its m ...
, with the Pasay segment being delayed due to right-of-way issues.
During the rule of President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
, traffic jams along the avenue started to build up. Several interchanges were constructed to relieve congestion, including the
Balintawak and
Magallanes Interchanges. Later, with the implementation of the
Metro Manila Arterial Road System
This list of roads in Metro Manila summarizes the major thoroughfares and the numbering system currently being implemented in Metro Manila, Philippines.
Metro Manila's major road network comprises six Ring road, circumferential roads and ten Art ...
in 1965, in order to complete the
Circumferential Road 4 system, EDSA was extended from Taft Avenue to
Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a tradem ...
, occupying parcels of land along the old F. Rein Street and Del Pan Avenue (P. Lovina Street) in Pasay. Until the mid-1980s, many parts of the highway still overlooked vast grassland and open fields.
The EDSA Revolution
By 1986, political opposition to the 20-year dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos mounted. In late February, high-ranking military officers including
Defence Minister
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Juan Ponce Enrile
Juan Valentin Furagganan Ponce Enrile Sr., (born Juan Valentin Furagganan; February 14, 1924), also referred to by his initials JPE, is a Filipino politician and lawyer who served as 21st President of the Senate of the Philippines from 2008 to ...
and General
Fidel Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reached ...
, defected from the Marcos government and seized
Camp Crame and
Camp Aguinaldo
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo (CGEA; formerly Camp Murphy), also known as Camp Aguinaldo, is the site of the general headquarters (GHQ) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
It is located in Quezon City along EDSA, a major thoroughfare ...
, two military bases located across each other midway along EDSA. This triggered three days of peaceful demonstrations that became the
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
.
The majority of protesters were gathered at the gates of the two bases, along a stretch of EDSA between the commercial districts of Cubao in Quezon City and Ortigas Center in Mandaluyong. Over two million Filipino civilians, along with political, military, and religious groups led by
Archbishop of Manila
The Archdiocese of Manila (; ; ) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church, Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Catholic Church in the Philippines, Philippines, encompassing the cities of Manila, ...
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
Jaime Sin
Jaime Cardinal Lachica Sin, ( zh, t=辛海梅, 辛海棉, poj=Sin Hái-mûi, Sin Hái-mî; August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005), commonly and also formally known as Cardinal Sin, was the 30th Catholic Archbishop of Manila and the third cardina ...
, succeeded in toppling President Marcos.
Corazon Aquino
María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
, the widow of
assassinated
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
opposition senator
Benigno Aquino Jr., was installed as president on the morning of February 25; by midnight, Marcos had escaped
Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace (, ), officially known as Malacañán Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila district of San Miguel, Manila, San Miguel, along Jose Laurel S ...
with his family, and was flying to exile in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
.
Monuments
Several landmarks commemorate historical events that occurred along the avenue. At the intersection of EDSA and Ortigas Avenue is
EDSA Shrine
The National Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, also known as Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine, Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish and commonly known as the EDSA Shrine, is a small church building, church of the Archdiocese of Manila located at the inte ...
, a Catholic church capped by a bronze statue of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
as
Our Lady of Peace. The shrine is dedicated to this
Marian title in memory of the pious folk belief that in the 1986 Revolution, the Virgin Mary personally shielded the protesters – many of whom were peacefully praying and singing – as they faced government troops, tanks, and aircraft.
The
People Power Monument (), consisting of a giant statue and esplanade, sits at the corner of EDSA and White Plains Avenue. Sculpted by
Eduardo Castrillo and unveiled in 1993, the central sculpture depicts protesters standing upon a circular podium, all surrounding a woman (representing ''Ináng Bayan'' or the
Motherland
A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic natio ...
), reaching up to the heavens with her outstretched hands and broken shackles. A
Philippine flag
The national flag of the Philippines () is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicolor flag with equal bands of royal blue and Crimson, crimson red, with a white, equilateral chevron at the Glossary of vexillology#Flag elements, hois ...
rises behind her, while a statue of
Ninoy Aquino
Benigno "Ninoy" Simeón Aquino Jr., (, ; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac (1963–1967). Aquino was the husban ...
and an eternal flame stand on either side at its base. A huge, limestone-faced wall with grooves for ribbons in the national colors forms a backdrop to the scene. The surrounding pavement contains a row of flagstaffs, and is the center for protests and ceremonies held on the Revolution's anniversary of February 25.
Monuments dedicated to
Andrés Bonifacio
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...
are situated at two locations along EDSA: the
Balintawak Interchange and the avenue's terminus, the Monumento Circle. The monument at Balintawak, erected in 1971, replaced the old Cry of Balintawak Monument, a monument commemorating the
Cry of Pugad Lawin
The Cry of Pugad Lawin (, ) was the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire.
In late August 1896, members of the Katipunan led by Andrés Bonifacio revolted somewhere around Caloocan, which included parts of the pre ...
and was transferred to the
University of the Philippines Diliman
The University of the Philippines Diliman (also called UPD; ), also referred to as UP Diliman, is a State university and college (Philippines), public, coeducational, Research university, research university located in Diliman, Quezon City, Ph ...
campus in 1968. On the other hand, the
Bonifacio Monument
The Andrés Bonifacio Monument, commonly known simply as Bonifacio Monument or Monumento, is a memorial monument in Caloocan, Philippines, which was designed by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino to commemorate the Philippine revolutionary ...
at Monumento was built in 1929 and unveiled in 1933.
Recent history
After the
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
, the highway was commonly referred to as EDSA, and it was connected to its southern extensions.
In 1997, construction began on the
Manila Metro Rail Transit System, which runs the length of EDSA from
North Avenue to
Taft Avenue
Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
. It was opened under the administration of
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...
, the
thirteenth
In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major or minor .
A thirteenth chord is th ...
President of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
.
[GMA Launches transit system](_blank)
, Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
, July 15, 2003[NUMBER OF MOTOR VEHICLES REGISTERED: Comparative, JAN.- DEC. 2003, 2004, 2005](_blank)
, Land Transportation Office
The Land Transportation Office (LTO; ) is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Transportation (Philippines), Department of Transportation responsible for all land transportation in the Philippines. Functions of the LTO ...
, January 23, 2006
The
Second EDSA Revolution
The Second EDSA Revolution (), also known as the Second People Power Revolution, EDSA 2001, or EDSA II (pronounced ''EDSA Two'' or ''EDSA Dos'', the Spanish word for "two"), was a political protest from January 17–20, 2001 which peacefully ...
, which also took place along the avenue, resulted in the peaceful ouster of President Estrada following his
impeachment trial
An impeachment trial is a trial that functions as a component of an impeachment. Several governments utilize impeachment trials as a part of their processes for impeachment. Differences exist between governments as to what stage trials take place ...
. He was succeeded by his
Vice-President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
,
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
. She was sworn in on the terrace of EDSA Shrine by then-
Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. at noon on January 20, 2001, several hours before Estrada and his family fled Malacañang Palace.
The
EDSA III
The May 1 Riots, or EDSA III (pronounced as ''EDSA Three'' or ''EDSA Tres'', the Spanish word for "three"), were protests sparked by the arrest of newly deposed president Joseph Estrada of the Philippines from April 25 to May 1, 2001. Th ...
, which also took place along the avenue from April 25 to May 1 of the same year, resulted in violence when the supporters of former President Estrada attempted to storm the
presidential palace
A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...
and the military and police were ordered to use their arms to drive them back. Arroyo declared a state of rebellion because of the violence and prominent political personalities affiliated with Estrada were charged and arrested.
In 2006, the avenue was further extended from
Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a tradem ...
to the
SM Mall of Asia
SM Mall of Asia (also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA; ), is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Metro Manila, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area w ...
on the
Bay City Reclamation Project, where it now ends at the Globe Rotunda, a
roundabout
A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...
. That same year, the avenue was badly damaged in September, when
Typhoon Milenyo hit Manila.
In 2010, the
LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) of the
Manila Light Rail Transit System
The Manila Light Rail Transit System, commonly known as the LRT, is an urban rail transit system that primarily serves Metro Manila, Philippines. Although categorized as a light rail system because it originally used light rail vehicles, it pre ...
was extended from
Monumento to
Roosevelt (now Fernando Poe Jr.), ultimately transversing EDSA to end at the site of the current
North Avenue MRT station.
On September 9, 2015, the
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
(PNP) deployed the Highway Patrol Group to support
MMDA traffic constables easing traffic on congested segments of EDSA.
In September 2017, the construction of the
North Triangle Common Station was started after numerous delays due to bureaucracy and location disputes. It will connect the LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, MRT Line 7, and the Metro Manila Subway.
EDSA Carousel
The
EDSA Carousel is a
bus rapid transit (BRT) system with stops mostly on the EDSA
median lanes serving as the main bus route of the avenue. The system was put into place after almost all public and private transportation along EDSA was prohibited during the
enhanced community quarantine in Luzon
The enhanced community quarantine in Luzon was a series of stay-at-home orders and ''cordon sanitaire (medicine), cordon sanitaire'' measures implemented by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EI ...
imposed during the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
in March 2020. Interim operations of the BRT system began on July 1, 2020. Intended to be largely served by bus stops along some stops are temporarily served by stations on the
curb
A curb (American English) or kerb (British English) is the edge where a raised sidewalk/pavement or road median/central reservation meets a street/other roadway.
History
Although curbs have been used throughout modern history, and indeed ...
side. The system runs on a dedicated bus lane called the EDSA Busway, which is separated by concreted barriers.
Prior to the establishment of the EDSA Carousel, the
Department of Transportation proposed in 2017 to create two BRT lines in Metro Manila, which would be part of a Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit System. EDSA would have had been designated as "Line 2: Central Corridor" and would have had of segregated busways covering the length of the road. The agency planned to scrap the project by June 2018. However, this appeal was rejected and the Line 1 which will be built on Quezon Avenue, which passes EDSA, was later approved by the
National Economic and Development Authority
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for national and regional economic policy, development, monitoring, and planning. DEPDev also oversees the pl ...
(NEDA) on November 2, 2018.
In 2019, Senator
Win Gatchalian
Sherwin Ting Gatchalian (born April 6, 1974), known as Win Gatchalian, is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator since 2016. A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), he previously ser ...
called for the approval of the BRT system as an alternate mode of transportation to the
PNR Metro Commuter Line
The PNR Metro Commuter Line was a commuter rail line operated by the Philippine National Railways. It was first inaugurated as the Metro Manila Commuter Service in 1970, and originally served the North Main Line and the South Main Line, as wel ...
.
Intersections
Notes
Landmarks
This list is from north to south.
Caloocan
*
Bonifacio Monument
The Andrés Bonifacio Monument, commonly known simply as Bonifacio Monument or Monumento, is a memorial monument in Caloocan, Philippines, which was designed by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino to commemorate the Philippine revolutionary ...
*
Manila Central University
Manila Central University (MCU), formerly known as the Escuela de Farmacia del Liceo de Manila, is a Private university, private, Nonsectarian, non-sectarian, stock corporation, stock basic and higher Types of educational institutions#Higher Ed ...
* La Verdad Christian College Caloocan campus
**
DWAO-TV
**
DWNU
DWNU (107.5 FM, 107.5 FM broadcasting, FM), broadcasting as Wish 107.5 ''(pronounced as Wish one-o-seven-five)'', is a radio station owned by Progressive Broadcasting Corporation and operated by Breakthrough and Milestones Productions Internati ...
**
DZXQ
DZXQ (1350 AM), on-air as Radyo La Verdad 1350, is a radio station owned by Information Broadcast Unlimited and operated by Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International. Its studio and offices are located in EDSA, Caloocan while its ...
Quezon City (north of Timog/East avenues)
* Bonifacio Memorial Elementary School
*
Balintawak Interchange
* Balintawak market
*
Balintawak station
Balintawak station is an elevated Light Rail Transit (LRT) station located on the LRT Line 1 (LRT-1) system located along EDSA at the boundary of barangays Balingasa, Unang Sigaw, and Apolonio Samson in Quezon City, Philippines. It opened on M ...
* Dario Bridge (
San Juan River)
*
Fernando Poe Jr. station
*
Quezon City Academy
*
SM North EDSA
SM North EDSA (formerly known as The SM Center North EDSA, The SM City North EDSA and also known as SM City North EDSA) is a large shopping mall located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the first SM Supermalls, SM Supermall in ...
* Philippine College of Surgeons
* Paramount Building
**
DZRV-AM
*
Trinoma
*
North Avenue station
*
Vertis North
**
Solaire Resort North
*
United Church of Christ in the Philippines
*
Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards ...
**
National Police Commission
*
The Skysuites Tower
*
Eton Centris
Eton Centris is a development in Quezon City by Lucio Tan's Eton Properties Philippines. Eton Centris is located at the southeast corner of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, EDSA and Quezon Avenue. It is a major component of the Triangle Park (Quezon ...
*
Quezon Avenue station
* National Government Center
**
National Printing Office
National Printing Office (NPO) is one of 3 Recognized Government Printers in the Philippines (together with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Apo Production Unit). It was first established in 1901 as the Philippine Bureau of Printing. It is ...
**
National Irrigation Administration
** Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation
**
Department of Public Works and Highways
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...
Bureau of Research and Standards
*
Manuel L. Quezon University
*
GMA–Kamuning station
*
GMA Network Center
The GMA Network Center is the headquarters and broadcast complex of GMA Network, a major radio and television network in the Philippines. It is located at EDSA corner Timog Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the network's main television and ...
**
DZBB-TV
DZBB-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Metro Manila, Philippines, serving as the flagship of the GMA television network. The digital service is known as DZBB-DTV by only a few people. It is owned and operated by the network's namesa ...
**
DZBB-AM
**
DWLS
Quezon City (south of Timog/East avenues)
*
Bernardo Park
* Lagarian Bridge (Diliman Creek)
* Mega Q Mart
*
Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School
*
Araneta City
Araneta City (stylized in all lowercase), formerly and still commonly known as Araneta Center, is a Transit-oriented development, transit oriented, commercial Mixed-use development, mixed-use urban development in Quezon City, Philippines. Situ ...
**
Farmers Plaza
** Farmers Market
** Expo Centro
** Embassy of Colombia
*
Araneta Center–Cubao MRT station
* Samson College of Science and Technology
*
Camp Aguinaldo
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo (CGEA; formerly Camp Murphy), also known as Camp Aguinaldo, is the site of the general headquarters (GHQ) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
It is located in Quezon City along EDSA, a major thoroughfare ...
*
Camp Crame
*
Santolan–Annapolis station
*
People Power Monument
*
Department of Migrant Workers
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW; ) is the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive department of the Politics of the Philippines, Philippine government responsible for the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare ...
*
Ortigas Interchange
The Ortigas Interchange, also known as the EDSA–Ortigas Interchange or the Ortigas Flyover, is a three-level partial stack interchange at the boundary between Mandaluyong and Quezon City in Metro Manila, Philippines, which serves as the junc ...
*
Ortigas Center
Ortigas Center (also known as the Ortigas Central Business District or Ortigas CBD) is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City, within Metro Manila in the Philippines. With an area o ...
**
EDSA Shrine
The National Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, also known as Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine, Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish and commonly known as the EDSA Shrine, is a small church building, church of the Archdiocese of Manila located at the inte ...
**
Robinsons Galleria
Robinsons Galleria (also known as Robinsons Galleria Ortigas) is a Mixed-use development, mixed-use complex and shopping mall located at EDSA (Circumferential Road 4, C-4) corner Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is t ...
**
Saint Pedro Poveda College
Mandaluyong
*
Ortigas station
*
Ortigas Center
Ortigas Center (also known as the Ortigas Central Business District or Ortigas CBD) is a central business district located within the joint boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City, within Metro Manila in the Philippines. With an area o ...
**
SM Megamall
***
Mega Tower
** Shang Place
***
Shangri-La Plaza
* Starmall EDSA Shaw
*
Shaw Boulevard station
*
Greenfield District
* Paragon Plaza
**
DWBL-AM
**
DWJM
**
DWLL
**
DWOW
DWOW (103.5 FM broadcasting, FM), on-air as All Radio 103.5, is a radio station owned and operated by the Advanced Media Broadcasting System. Its studios are located at the AMBS Media Center, 2nd Floor, Starmalls, Starmall EDSA Shaw, EDSA cor. ...
**
DWRT-FM
**
DWSS-AM
**
DWTM
*
Boni station
*
Philippine Red Cross
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC; ; ) is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The PRC was established in 1947, with roots in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colon ...
National Headquarters
*
Guadalupe Bridge (
Pasig River
The Pasig River (; ) is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and Metro Manila, its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its m ...
)
Makati
*
Guadalupe station
Guadalupe station (also known as Guadalupe–Santa Maria) is an Amtrak train station in the city of Guadalupe, California
Guadalupe is a small city located in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the 2010 United States census, ...
* Guadalupe Commercial Complex
*
San Carlos Seminary
*
Global City Innovative College
*
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...
*
Kalayaan Flyover
*
Buendia MRT station
*
Ayala Center
The Ayala Center is a mixed-use major commercial development operated by Ayala Land located in Barangay San Lorenzo within the Makati Central Business District in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. The complex comprises three shopping malls ...
**
One Ayala
** SM Makati
**
Dusit Thani Manila
*
McKinley Exchange Corporate Center
*
Ayala station
*
Magallanes station
*
EDSA PNR station
*
Magallanes Interchange
* Malibay Bridge (Estero de Tripa de Galina)
Pasay
*
Taft Avenue station
* Metro Point Mall
* Heritage Hotel Manila
*
Bay City
** DD Meridian Park
*** DoubleDragon Plaza
** MetPark
*** Met Live
**Hotel101-Manila
** SM Central Business Park
*** Ice Tower
*** Shell Residences
*** MOA Globe
***
SM Mall of Asia
SM Mall of Asia (also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA; ), is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Metro Manila, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area w ...
Future developments
Proposed interchanges
An
overpass
An overpass, called an overbridge or flyover (for a road only) in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that is over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and '' underpa ...
over the North Avenue–West Avenue Intersection and Mindanao Avenue Junction in the Triangle Park and a flyover over Congressional Avenue–Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue intersection in Muñoz are already approved and was slated to begin construction construction in 2013.
As of 2020, the project is currently on hold.
Proposed renaming
On October 13, 2011, Representative
Rene Relampagos
Rene Lopez Relampagos (born December 28, 1963) is a Filipino politician. He is a former vice-governor of the Province of Bohol after having been elected in the local elections as part of the 2019 Philippine General Election and ending his term ...
(
Bohol–1st) filed House Bill (HB) No. 5422, proposing to rename Epifanio de los Santos Avenue as "Corazon Aquino Avenue." According to Relampagos, the idea to rename EDSA after Aquino, who led the 1986 People Power, was conceptualized in the aftermath of her death. However, the measure only went as far as referral to the
House Committee on Public Works and Highways on November 14, 2011.
Construction of EDSA-Taft flyover

On April 2, 2013, then-President Benigno Aquino III gave the go-signal for the construction of a flyover at the perennially traffic-choked corner of EDSA and Taft Avenue in Pasay.
The project is estimated to cost , with the flyover extending to about each side and it will take one and a half years to complete the project.
Barrier-separated bus lanes
After stricter implementation of bus lanes and barrier separation through plastic barriers, the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...
(MMDA) started to replace the orange barriers with a concrete permanent barrier used to separate the bus lanes from private vehicle lanes.
Proposed road pricing scheme
With support from
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority proposed the implementation of
congestion pricing
Congestion pricing or congestion charges is a system of surcharging users of public goods that are subject to congestion through excess demand, such as through higher peak charges for use of bus services, electricity, metros, railways, tel ...
, based on the
Electronic Road Pricing
The Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system is an electronic toll collection scheme adopted in Singapore to manage traffic by way of road pricing, and as a usage-based taxation mechanism to complement the purchase-based Certificate of Entitlemen ...
scheme on Singapore, on EDSA to alleviate traffic congestion, along with providing alternate routes and opening some
gated community
A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...
roads. Implementation is set for 2018, but Rene Santiago, a transport engineer and planner, criticized the proposal because it may only worsen congestion, along with the numerous intersections and side streets along EDSA.
The congestion pricing proposal was revived again in 2025 by the MMDA, believing that improvements and projected capacity increases in the MRT-3 would allow them to more feasibly introduce congestion pricing and
high-occupancy vehicle lane
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and at least one passenger, ...
s.
Proposed shared bicycle-motorcycle lanes
On August 18, 2023, the MMDA proposed converting the bicycle lanes on EDSA exclusive to bicycles into shared lanes for bicycles and motorcycles, claiming that the EDSA bicycle lanes are "underutilized", and also proposed plans to build an elevated walkway and bikeway on EDSA from Guadalupe to Cubao. A preliminary feasibility study will be conducted within the week, with a stakeholders' meeting with cyclists and motorcycle riders taking place on August 29, 2023.
The proposal was criticized by sustainable transport advocates, who claimed that the proposed scheme would compromise the safety of cyclists and argued instead to carve an exclusive motorcycle lane from the regular lanes.
The
Department of Transportation will have the final say on the MMDA's proposal, which has jurisdiction over the EDSA bicycle lanes.
The MMDA, together with the DILG, revived its proposal for shared bicycle and motorcycle lanes again in 2025, with the latter citing the need for a dedicated motorcycle lane.
2025 rehabilitation
EDSA is planned to undergo a rehabilitation project initiated by the
Department of Public Works and Highways
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...
. The project, slated to begin on June 16, 2025, involves phased road repairs, drainage upgrades, and the application of durable
asphalt
Asphalt most often refers to:
* Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete
* Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...
, starting with the segment between Pasay and Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong. The project is part of the broader
Build Better More infrastructure program under the administration of President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It is also planned to be completed ahead of the 2026
ASEAN Summits, which will be hosted by the Philippines. However, on June 1, 2025, the project was temporarily suspended by President Marcos Jr. to search for a "better way."
During the rehabilitation, an odd-even scheme would be implemented on EDSA except on Sundays, temporarily replacing the number coding scheme. Odd-numbered plate numbers are banned on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while even-numbered plate numbers are banned on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Protests
EDSA is frequently used as a protest site. In August 2012, the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
assembled a mass rally on EDSA to oppose the
Reproductive Health Bill. On September 11, 2013, a prayer vigil called ''EDSA Tayo'' was held at the
EDSA Shrine
The National Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, also known as Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine, Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish and commonly known as the EDSA Shrine, is a small church building, church of the Archdiocese of Manila located at the inte ...
, where around 500–700 people were gathered to call for the abolition of the
Priority Development Assistance Fund. On February 25, 2015, various groups held a demonstration along EDSA to demand that President
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
stand down. On August 27–31 of the same year, adherents
staged demonstrations along EDSA near
SM Megamall, calling on then-
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to focus on issues such as the
Mamasapano clash
The Mamasapano clash was a shootout that took place during a police operation by the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on January 25, 2015, in Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, then-undivided Maguindanao (which is now ...
instead of a case filed by former INC minister Isaias Samson Jr., against Church leaders. On November 30, 2016, an anti-Marcos protest was held in the
People Power Monument due to the
burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the
Libingan ng mga Bayani
Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB, , ) is a national cemetery within Fort Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) in Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig, Philippines.
First established in May 1947 as a fitting resting place for Philippine mili ...
. On November 5, 2017, critics of the Duterte administration attended a mass held in EDSA shrine to protest against
extrajudicial killings in the country. On February 22, 2018, groups gathered at People Power Monument to hold a prayer vigil to show their opposition against
constitutional reform. On February 22, 2020, demonstrators gathered at the People Power Monument to call on President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
to resign from office.
The avenue is also used in political campaigns by several politicians, particularly those who had been involved in the EDSA Revolution such as
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...
and
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
.
In popular culture
EDSA was also featured in the film
''The Bourne Legacy''. Portions of the road from
Magallanes Interchange to
Taft Avenue
Taft Avenue (; ) is a major road in southern Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and President of the United Stat ...
were featured in a car chase wherein Aaron Cross, played by
Jeremy Renner
Jeremy Lee Renner (born January 7, 1971) is an American actor. He began his career by appearing in independent films such as ''Dahmer (film), Dahmer'' (2002) and ''Neo Ned'' (2005), then supporting roles in bigger films, such as ''S.W.A.T. (20 ...
, jumps from the Taft Avenue footbridge to a plying bus.
Due to its notorious traffic congestion, ''Programang EDSA'', a weekday rush hour radio program airing on
90.7 Love Radio Manila in the early evening, is named after the avenue.
Pablo of SB19 wrote and performed the song "EDSA" that describes the experience of driving along this avenue especially during rush hour.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Martial EDSA
People Power Revolution
Streets in Metro Manila
Ring roads
Shopping districts and streets in Metro Manila
Limited-access roads in the Philippines
Bike lanes in Metro Manila