Telcos, utility firms remove messy wires, wooden poles

CEBU, Philippines — Telecommunications and utility firms have started removing dead and spaghetti wires and redundant poles on J. Pania Street in Barangay Kamagayan in Cebu City yesterday.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the City Council’s committee on infrastructure and other utilities, said it would take one month to finish the cleanup drive along the 800-meter stretch, which is the pilot area of the project.

The wires will be color-coded for easy identification, he said. The dilapidated wooden poles will also be removed.

Guardo supervised yesterday’s cleanup drive since he was directed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña to lead the clearing of spaghetti and sagging wires.

The J. Panis Street was chosen as pilot area for the implementation of the proposed design and project that will soon be implemented throughout the city.

The cleanup is expected to be completed by December 3 with the help of the Visayan Electric Company, PLDT, Globe, Sky Cable, and Cebu Cable.

“We will launch the look of J. Panis Street after the cleanup. We will let Mayor Osmeña see and comment the look before I will submit my proposed ordinance,” he said.

Guardo is drafting an amendatory ordinance that would regulate the installation of utility wires in the city.

Under the proposed amendment, Guardo wants all utility companies to use a single post and eliminate all wooden poles. This way, sagging and spaghetti wires will be eliminated.

Guardo’s proposal is to allow only concrete or metal post that can hold all utility wirings. Guardo is also proposing to change the design of the posts to be installed within the city. He suggested assigning specific horizontal cross arm within the post for every utility.

He is also proposing to elevate the standard height limit of the electric live wires on the post from the minimum of 16ft to 20ft.

In the new design, the telecommunication companies will have an assigned height of 20ft above the ground while secondary lines of Visayan Electric Company will now be 22ft above ground level. — KBQ (FREEMAN)