Metro Manila’s daily traffic conundrum has produced a veritable class of road warriors who not only bravely navigate the urban jungle’s tangled roads, but also generous in sharing road savvy tips with their fellow commuters. If you are oneof them, then join the TV5 Team on Waze (http://www.waze.com) to share up-to-date traffic information that can help make sense of the ordeal through our congested roads.

With the Waze app and a collaboration with Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), interested citizens can share their on-site and live traffic reports. Thus drivers can share what’s happening on the roads beyond the app, through the Kapatid Network’s television and radio outreach – with a chance to be included in daily broadcasts.

The strategic partnership is a ground-breaking tool to broaden awareness of the crowd-sourced navigation app and help the riding public to not only save time but also to reduce their frustrations on the road. Today more than 743,500 thousand users rely on Waze every month to navigate their metro Manila commutes.

Joining the TV5 Waze Team is easy. For Waze users, just open “My Waze” icon, scroll down and click the “Teams” settings (those who are not yet Waze users, may download the Waze app for free in Google Play or App Store.

From the “Teams” settings you will find a list of groups including TV5, click “join” and you have an instant opportunity to submit traffic reports such as collisions, street congestion etc. to be aired in TV5’s news program, Aksyon: Aksyon sa Umaga (mornings at 5:00 am), and Aksyon Prime (evenings at 6:00 pm). The primetime and late-night editions of the newscast are both simulcast on radio through 92.3 News FM in Mega Manila and its provincial Radyo5 stations nationwide.

Waze provides alternate routes and estimated travel time for each route if ever you get stuck in traffic. Users can take a picture of the road condition or simply tap a menu and share an alert with the public. For Aksyon viewers, the TV5 Waze Team becomes their reference on the latest traffic reports on real time, based on constantly changing road conditions and providing timely road updates, including heavy volume or accidents reports.

Through Aksyon, TV5 and Waze will give the public the fastest routes, lowest gas price alerts, slow-downs, collisions, weather conditions, and other details that are useful in their daily commute.

TV5 uses the newest version of Waze 4.0 that shows easier-to-read map, cleaner look catered to driving-mode with faster visual reporting menu, and color-coded reports and alerts, so one can instantly recognize the map. Voyager Innovations works with Waze in technology integration and exchanges of map data.
“We are most enthusiastic about this partnership that will provide practical and immediate solutions to our suffering commuters. We would like to encourage the public to participate in this crowd-sourcing program in helping alleviate the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila,” TV5 President and CEO Noel C. Lorenzana said as he welcomes Waze’s joining with the network’s News and Public Affairs in providing this much needed service to the country’s commuting public.