The Sectoral Committee on Infrastructure Development of the Regional Development Council for the National Capital Region (RDC-NCR) has approved the endorsement of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT 7) to the RDC-NCR proper.

Hence, 17 Metro Manila mayors as voting members and the secretaries and heads of national government line agencies in Metro Manila region and sectoral committees, will once again discuss the project.

During the last organizational meet, the RDC-NCR has deferred the approval of the proposed MRT 7 to the committee for a more thorough discussion.

Earlier, Mayors Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela City and Herbert Bautista of Quezon City raised major concerns regarding the project and asked its proponents to allow the local government units (LGUs) to have a say regarding the locations of terminals or stations within their territorial jurisdictions.

Bautista suggested that the MRT 7 terminals should have access to other means of transportation such as tricycles and jeepneys, for the convenience of the riding public. Gatchalian, for his part, said the LGUs concerned should be consulted on the location of the terminals.

Director Thelsa Biolena of the Department of Social Welfare and Development also suggested that there should be coordination with families affected by the project, and for the concerned LGUs to provide on-site resettlement for the affected families.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino suggested that a social impact statement should be prepared by the project proponents so that displaced families could be given the needed assistance.

MRT 7 may be the fourth rail rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila. When completed, the line will be 22-km long with 14 stations, and will be operated by the Universal LRT Corporation (ULC) under a Built-Gradual Transfer-Operate- and-Maintain scheme.

Department of Transportation and Communications representative Joel Magbanua said that the 14 terminals have already been identified, however, maybe subject to change during the preparation of the detailed design which will also be approved by the concerned local government units.