Tag Archives: Manila

JAPAN OFFERS TO BUY METRO MANILA FOR $57 BILLION

imageTokyo, Japan –  Noting that Metro Manila’s traffic, infrastructure and housing problems can no longer be solved by the Philippines’ National Capital Region, Japan has offered to buy Metro Manila for $57 Billion.

The Japanese government, acting on a report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), made the offer to Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay. By purchasing Metro Manila, Japan hopes to implement JICA’s “Dream Plan” to solve once and for all Metro Manila’s decades-old woes.

The dream plan seeks to achieve by 2030, the five “No’s” considered to be the ultimate key to the revival of the dying metropolis : no traffic congestion, no excessive transport cost burden for low-income groups, no households living in high hazard risk areas, no barriers for seamless mobility of people and no air pollution.

Under the purchase proposal, Metro Manila will become a Prefecture of Japan and both the local and national governments  of the Philippines will totally give up ownership and control of Metro Manila which consists of 17 cities and towns.

The only remaining obstacle to the proposed purchase is to determine how the $57 Billion will be divided among Philippine President Noynoy Aquino, Estrada, Binay and the rest of the mayors of the cities and towns of the metropolis.

 

 

MANILA’S MASS RAPID TRANSIT (MRT) WINS PRESTIGIOUS ‘MOST POPULAR’ SYSTEM AWARD

The queue at an MRT station in Manila
The queue at an MRT station in Manila

Manila, Philippines – The embattled general manager of Manila’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) may have the last laugh despite calls for his resignation for the problems that have been plaguing the light railway system in the populous metropolis.

Activist groups have demanded that Alan Vitangcol III step down from his post for mismanagement of the transport system that millions of residents depend on for their daily commute to and from their work places. Vitangcol is also accused of  allegedly extorting $30 million from a Czech train car  builder in exchange for being awarded an MRT expansion project contract.

Today, the International Association of Light Railway Systems (IALRS) announced that Manila’s MRT has been unanimously chosen to receive the prestigious 2014 Most Popular Transport System Award. The annual award is given to the railway system that has the largest patronage.

The international body said Manila’s MRT won the judges’ nod hands down, after they saw photos of the long lines of commuters waiting to board the commuter trains. “We haven’t seen such massive popularity among MRT systems anywhere in the world,” one of the judges commented.

This prestigious award adds to the long long list of international recognitions recently awarded to the Philippines. Last month, the Philippine cities of Makati and Pasig were named the selfie capital of the world.

METRO MANILA WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO MAJOR CITIES

imageManila, Philippines – Metro Manila in the Philippines is probably the most congested metropolis in the entire world. It comprises of several big cities and towns with their respective local government units but that in itself makes the delivery of government services truly inefficient and ineffective.  That is about to end.

Manila Mayor and former Philippine President Joseph Estrada is proposing to split Metro Manila into just two major cities: Northern Manila and Southern Manila.  Estrada’s plan is quite simple. The division line will be the Pasig River which runs from Manila Bay to Laguna Bay. All cities and towns north of the Pasig River will comprise Northern Manila and everything else south of the river will comprise Southern Manila.

There is one big problem.

Most of Manila and Makati are south of the Pasig River, which begs the question, who will be the mayor of Southern Manila? Joseph Estrada or Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, son of incumbent Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay who is running for president in 2016?

A poll conducted by The Adobo Chronicles shows a 50-50 split in support for Estrada and Binay.