There’s still no official announcement from Google (Update, September 6: now, there’s a blog post), but readers of Google Earth Blog noticed new and updated satellite imagery in Google Earth. As usual, there’s a lag time before the data is updated in Google Maps so you won’t see the new imagery on the web yet (well, except if you have the Google Earth browser plugin).

Below is a list of the places in the Philippines that have new or updated imagery:

• northern Nueva Vizcaya and southern Ifugao, including Bayombong

• a remote coastal area of Gen. Nakar, Quezon

• central Pampanga and eastern Bulacan, including Malolos and Mount Arayat

• coastal areas of northern Zambales, including Iba, and parts of Pangasinan

• parts of Rizal and a part of eastern Laguna

• a remote part of Palawan

• southern Iloilo

• a small part of northern Negros Occidental

• parts of central Cebu

• western extremities of Bohol, including parts of Panglao Island

• Siquijor

• a few areas in Leyte

• large swathes of Cotabato, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Sur

• coastal areas of Sultan Kudarat

• parts of Zamboanga del Sur

• a few areas in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi

This means that for the first time in Google Earth, we can now see a high-resolution satellite image of Miag-ao Church, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Barasoain Church in Malolos, possibly the most historic church in the Philippines. I blogged before that Microsoft’s Live Maps one-ups Google Maps by having Barasoain Church in hi-res. Now Google has caught up.

Of course, you can expect me to feature these two churches in Vista Pinas when Google Maps has the updated data.