Telco and power firms now going underground in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines – A local official of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said the firm has continued its underground cabling in Cebu City, a project also being done by the Visayan Electric Co. (VECO). 

Bong Lintag, who is assistant vice president at PLDT and heads the Cebu operations, revealed the telecommunications firm is expecting bigger investment for the phase two of its underground cabling project from Fuente Osmeña to P. Del Rosario St.

Lintag said PLDT had complied with the phase one of the project, which stretches from the Cebu Provincial Capitol to Fuente Osmeña. The phase one had cost the company to spend around P6 million to transfer its overhead cables in the said area underground.

For the project's phase two, which is now ongoing, Lintag noted they expect to spend P7 million for materials alone.

"Malaki talaga capex (capital expenditure) niyan. It's really costly to go underground," Lintag told The FREEMAN in an interview.

The telco official explained that the conduits (pipes through which wires pass) of VECO and PLDT would be separated like what was done in the phase one.

"Kanya-kanya din kami sa cost sa pag-undertake ng project," Lintag said.

For PLDT's part, Lintag said the completion of the phase two is expected by middle next year.

Also, VECO has already started the second phase of its underground distribution system from Fuente Osmeña to P. Del Rosario St.

VECO Chief Operating Officer Anton Perdices earlier said: "We will continue to do as much as underground projects as possible."

The underground projects of the two companies are being done to comply with Cebu City Ordinance 2135, which requires all power, water and telecommunications lines to be placed underground.

Perdices had urged other utilities to invest into underground system.

According to the official, VECO has an existing joint pole agreement with utilities such as PLDT, Globe and Skycable to get rid of excess poles.

It can be remembered that Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama had earlier given utility firms a second chance to get rid of tangled "spaghetti" wires in the city after they failed to fully deliver what they promised three months ago. Rama had said he was expecting full compliance by May 1 next year.   

The city government may have to cut down some redundant poles to show it is serious in addressing spaghetti wires or leaning and redundant poles that endanger the public. (FREEMAN)