The Coffee: 2013

Manila's MRT-7 would be quite the dream. The project would have a 23 km rail line with 14 stations, reaching from the North Avenue Station at Trinoma, up to the final station in San Juan del Monte in Bulacan, and a 22 km road connecting that station to the North Luzon Expressway.

Yet every time I hear about the project in the news it's still just months away from the start of construction. Some samples of the news over the years:

Apr 14, 2013 - NEDA re-evaluating proposed MRT 7

"A proposal to put up a mass rail transit that would operate between North Avenue in Quezon City and Bulacan is now with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for re-evaluation."

Dec 4, 2012 - SMC ready to start MRT-7 construction

"Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is ready to start the construction of the $2.2-billion Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-7 from San Jose del Monte in Bulacan to North Ave. in Quezon City after getting the green light from the government."

May 16, 2012 - MRT-7 construction on track

"The construction of the $1.6-billion Metro Railway Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) linking North Edsa to Bulacan is set to begin as its proponent, the San Miguel group, has awarded the contract to build the elevated railway to a consortium led by Marubeni-DMCI."

May 5, 2011 - MRT 7 seen completed in ’14

"In a disclosure earlier this week, the company said it would start work on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line 7 project—involving the construction of a 22-kilometer train line and the six-lane road beneath it—before the end of the year."

Aug 30, 2008 - Construction of $1.2-B MRT 7 to start in January

"Mayor Eduardo Roque disclosed that the construction of the $1.2-billion Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 system that will link the MRT along EDSA in Quezon City to this city would start in January next year."

Nov 14, 2008 - MRT 7 may end Metro traffic problems

"If construction is started next year (if it is approved this year), MRT 7 will be fully operational by 2012."

Jul 9, 2008 - MRT-7 will be ready in 12 months - Palace exec

"After much time in the planning stage, the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 linking SM North EDSA area in Quezon City to Monumento in Caloocan City will be ready in 12 months."

Dec 7, 2007 - MRT-7 project proponent refuses renegotiation

"The $1.23-billion MRT-7 project is targeted for completion in 2012."

Jan 27, 2004 - Ride to progress

"PHASE 1 of MRT 7, designed to reduce travel time for people in northern Manila, will be considered for final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Transportation and Communications on 28 January. Proponent LRT Corporation estimates that it will be operational by 2006, two years in the term of a new, or renewed, administration."

How about enough of your bullshit and lies. It has already been 11 years since the original project proposal, and 7 years after the date that the MRT-7 was originally supposed to be completed-- years of bidding, and evaluation, and re-evaluation, and bureaucracy, and empty promises. And not a single shovel has hit the dirt.

Something to think about the next time the Philippine government tries to pacify its people with ridiculous empty promises.

Here's an update to the high-resolution satellite coverage of Google Earth/Maps in the Philippines. I've been making and updating a map like this for the past two years (see June 2012 and April 2011), so might as well keep it going.

Compared to the rather disappointing update last time, in the past year apparently Google's been doing a good job adding high-res coverage to a lot of new areas, including Boracay and Panglao. As you can see on the map, there's now significantly more red than non-red. Amount of coverage is now at 85.8%.

54.7% in April 2011
60.1% in June 2012
85.8% in July 2013

Only big glaring omissions on the map is the large swath of eastern Bohol, and the mountainous areas in inland Mindoro. The largest uncovered city is Kidapawan (population 125,447).