Six feet under: A giant spider web of lines

If we could only see what lies beneath our cities or the communities we live in, we will see a dizzying labyrinth of wires, lines, cables, and what-have-you, says Converge ICT founder and CEO Dennis Uy.

“It’s as if there’s a giant spider web,” the tech tycoon tells me.

What this really means is that there’s a complicated, disorganized, hodgepodge existence of wires down under – from telecom cables, water pipes, internet and other utility lines.

It’s a problem, he says, and it’s bound to become an even bigger problem as the country’s population grows and the density in cities increases.

He believes this entanglement of sorts will only get worse unless there will be better urban planning to be implemented by LGUs, national agencies, regulators, and the utility companies.

Indeed, planning is needed to have a more efficient orchestra of electrical, potable, sanitary, and telecom pipes underneath, says another source.

Without a well-planned underground system, our cities can sometimes face severe service disruptions from utility companies. Such disorganized placement of cables down under can also cause accidents and other hazards.

We are already experiencing that. For example, when a new building is constructed, some lines or wires may be accidentally cut, thereby disrupting services to households, schools, commercial districts etc.

In the future, when the country embraces electric vehicles, there may even be more utility lines underneath our cities.

Proper urban planning

Uy believes proper urban planning can fix the situation. This will entail crafting out an organized system that will put different utility lines in specific areas so they are not lumped tightly in one area. For example, certain lines should be placed two to three feet under, while another set of lines can go four to five feet under, and so on. Urban planning can also prevent numerous developments if the underground space can no longer handle more buildings.

This is especially important as some lawmakers push for the transfer of power cables underground. This means there will be more lines down under.

For tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, placing power and telecommunications cables underground as part of measures against disasters is doable, but he said, “it’s not as easy as it looks.”

Talking about Typhoon Odette in an interview with The Chiefs late last year, Pangilinan said putting everything underground would likewise entail cost and would require proper coordination among all utilities.

Time to bury the utility lines

Transferring utility lines underground is a step toward progress. It’s not only safer, but it will also make cities and towns more livable.

Notice that in more developed countries one does not see towers and towers of electric cables, one after the other, dangling from posts and impossibly entangled beyond repair.

But putting those wires underground must be planned and coordinated properly. We cannot go on just doing things as they come or just planning when there is a new building to be constructed. We can’t do it the maskipaps – maski papaano – way. Otherwise, there might be accidents and service disruptions.

Converge itself has had to deal with service disruptions recently due to fiber cuts in its network because of diggings done by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Pipes

The use of PVC electrical pipes, such as those produced by listed Crown Asia Chemicals Corp., can protect underground telecom cables, as well as other industrial wirings. Many infrastructure projects such as the NAIA Expressways, Calax and the Skyway use Crown Asia pipes.

But Uy is right in saying that long-term planning is necessary.

A 30-year national infrastructure program

The proposed 30-year infrastructure program comes to mind.  This is supported by the Philippine Constructors Association, a group of the country’s builders currently led by its president, engineer Wilfredo Decena.

The proposed program will serve as a major backbone for the county’s infrastructure plans and may also help in planning that complicated world of utility lines down under.

According to the measure pending in Congress, the 30-year program will provide for the systematic and continuing development of essential infrastructure such as transport, energy, water resources, information and communications technology, and social infrastructure.

“This infrastructure program shall be directed to support the achievement of the overall long-term development vision for the Philippines to be a predominantly middle-class society by the middle of the 21st century, when no one is poor and Filipinos shall live long and healthy lives in a high-trust, smart, and innovative society,” according to the pending measure.

I’m sure this blueprint if passed into law can also help address the detailed planning needed to have a better and organized system of utility lines underground.

Whenever Converge’s Uy talks about this netherworld of criss-crossing lines and cables, I sense a mixture of alarm and frustration in his tone. If only we could see this entangled maze-like world and see how complicated it is, he likes to say.

Indeed, it’s not something we can see because it’s buried down under, up to six feet below the ground. But something that’s buried doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be a problem in the future, if it isn’t already.

Iris Gonzales’ email address is [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at eyesgonzales.com