If we look up the map of Metro Manila it tells a different story at every part of it. Every barangay means another culture and even every city has a different environment. In Metro Manila, it is composed of 17 different LGU's yet we are still a single region. Obviously, there is a disparity within the seventeen and that's both obvious and understandable. Understandable in a way that each local government unit's economics varies from one another, and obvious since some cities are much larger and some are relatively much smaller in area alone.

Like any other major cities in the world, Metro Manila is composed of a well diverse community. Some communities serve campus life, college life, some areas of the cities, are defined as residential areas, where most people are expected to move-in and move-out especially during the region's rush hour. Some are also classified as business districts where most 9-5 employees are expected to go in and out.

Luckily for some, who live within a close proximity to these areas it would be naturally much convenient for them to commute, but for those who reside from the other side of Metro Manila and some who even reside outside Metro Manila, the expected travel time is real.

This is where urban planning comes in and takes its beauty. A lot of highly decorated urban planners can be commissioned to write up or even plan Metro Manila, but I guess we don't need them anymore, right? Since we can do it? I mean we have been doing it ever since the world began, might as well end the world without one, right?

Then honestly, this is where the problems start to kick-in. I'm no urban planner, and definitely a lot of them are much widely known outside Metro Manila, who can creatively do his/her interpretation of Metro Manila's movement, but since you're already reading this writing, I assume you're also curious how I ended up with the seven major routes.

One thing that I can be proud of, is that I lived the majority of my life in Metro Manila. When people go back to their provinces during holy week or christmas break, I am still here in Metro Manila as I'm a pure tagalog, both my parents are from the city. Indeed a true QCitizen, if that's the case.

And seriously, I think this is the best badge that I can show to other people, I lived here and I'm from here. I don't wanna sound like I'm bragging but I know my city, and I know my region; not to every inch of it, but surely, yes I'm familiar with it. This explains why it was easier for me to do/plan it, since I know what I'm talking about.

If I wrote that Navotas Terminal should be activated, people might seem to underestimate that call, but honestly — look at the map of Metro Manila. It sits right at the end of EDSA if you continue past the Bonifacio Shrine, aligning naturally with R10. I know R10 is indeed dangerous per se, but then again — check the map of Metro Manila. Once this line is activated, it will directly serve people of the south, like Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque a clear access to the North without going through EDSA, C5 and even Skyway because we are running this through Roxas Boulevard up to R10.

Again, I might sound crazy to suggest that, but in this region where we are supposed to move 14 million passengers, we have to be creative. That's the only way to do it. We have to distribute the people and filter them, that way we can honestly consume the other parts of the region.

Another wild take for some, but truly makes sense to me is the Red Line. This Line starts from Quirino Highway, and will continue to pass the infamous Commonwealth Avenue, pass through Quezon City Circle, and enter Quezon Avenue. From there, it is already a straight course, the only concern left is to where this route will actually end, if you ask me — I'll end it in front of the Metropolitan Theater. Yes, I've been into that place before, it's crazy tight there, but at the same time, it is also connected through a massive walkway towards Central Terminal, which connects the Red BRT to another LRT station, thus also means, that commuters from Fairview, who wants to either go to Cavite or South can now ride only Red Line and transfer to LRT1 — Central Terminal, that's a blessing for every commuters out there. Right?

Straightforward and easy to connect from one mode of transportation to the other. These lines aim to complement the both existing stations and also stations that are “pending” up to this day.

But honestly, I get it. It might be too much for now, but soon it will resonate to you as well.

The C5 Route too, to me this is also an obvious one. This route is something that we sleep on for the majority of time. If you check the Orange Line, it literally starts in a place where nobody gets there, and honestly it is designed that way. Isolated, far from the current supply of people, this aims so that we can distribute the movement of people.

This is why the network of bus systems plays a crucial role, as much as we only want the main lines — these feeder lines and even tertiary lines are the game changer. They are like the ones that connect and make the system complete in contrast to the current existing routes in the region today, which are mostly scattered and fragmented.

Imagine riding a BRT Line that starts in Quezon City and will pass through Pasig City's business district, and can casually drop you off either in 26th Street Stop or even in Upper McKinley Stop and you're already connected to BGC. To top it all up, this line will end up connected to Line 4 — Osmeña Line. This line on the other hand will traverse within Osmeña Highway, even up to SLEX and will end within Muntinlupa City.

This is what we lack in Metro Manila today, compared to other regions outside the country, their public transportation is connected. In our current situation, it's really hard to connect what is yet to be built.

For Line 4, this literally starts at Quirino Avenue, Manila City - where no site of possible terminals may be positioned yet, and will end also in SM Center Muntinlupa. Again, eyebrows are raised, since these two mentioned “terminals” are relatively non-existent, but at the same time, check again the map of Metro Manila.

Imagine the SLEX having a BRT Line within its median lane and will connect you to the heart of Manila City and up to Muntinlupa City, and let's not forget the other communities it will run through, Makati Central Business District, Villamor Air Base, BRT Line 3 that runs through BGC & Pasig, and even a possible transfer line to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and also let’s not forget the residential side of Parañaque, and even up to Alabang Town Center.

I know it's hard to imagine how these lines will be executed, but it's much more doable than other crazy ideas like turning C5 on a one-way road during rush hour,^[1][2] or even creating another elevated expressway on top of EDSA.^[3]

I know these might be deemed as “wild idea” but the same goes with the current status of our public transportation, the current system is also wild in a way we let “operators” passively decide which routes to run into, and only judging it based on its “economic viability”, and not even a city wide plan to follow. It may be a wild idea but this might work.

For Line 6 and Line 7, these are lines that support people from the East side of Metro Manila. Both lines are parallel to each other, as it aims to decongest and push commuters to enter Metro Manila through BRT Lines that will link them both in Cubao and Gilmore, in Quezon City where transfer towards LRT2, MRT3, EDSA BRT and other feeder lines that plays a crucial role in moving people within the region.

This is a prime example of expanding people's options from letters E to Z. As we can promote mass public transportation, this also aims for these commuters to trust public transportation again, for the sake of efficiency and effectiveness in travel.

Again, these are not merely ‘new lines’ per se. The main difference in this plan is that they are now connected and now act as a network of bus routes and not just random routes that were approved for the sake of it being ‘economically viable’.

As I keep on saying in this writing, this is just a starting point, and not a final answer.

This may seem crazy but let's also ask ourselves, what other options are still available for us, if we really want to improve our public transportation, specifically in terms of our short-term planning?

Honestly, I can just write all these without even attributing an alternate plan/solution, right? But what makes those words new if I will not float an alternate idea?

Every Juan can clamor for better public transportation, every Juan can just point out what is wrong in the system, and honestly, it's the easiest job in the world — spreading frustrations about how terrible public transportation we have. But that's not me, I'd rather come up with a wild idea in bettering public transportation as this is the only way to spark conversation that can hopefully, change the real situation in our region.