Telcos, utility firms sign pact

CEBU, Philippines - Power and telecommunication companies have agreed to take collective action on emergency procedures when responding to incidents or complaints.

A manifesto stipulating the “Emergency Response Guidelines” was signed by companies involved. It provides that any firm can immediately respond to emergency situations regardless of whose cable wiring is being affected.

“We came up with an agreement that even if we don’t own the asset, we are allowed to touch it. So whoever responds to it can implement the repair. This is to make sure that the safety of the constituents is being protected,” said Valentin Saludes III, vice president for Engineering Group of Visayan Electric Company.

The new agreement was made following several incidents involving utility posts and dangling wires.

“The previous accidents highlighted the city and we don’t want to happen that again,” he said.

In one month, two persons were killed while two others were injured in separate accidents involving utility poles owned by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.

Ralph Bureros, 13, died on July 7 while Jeserea Ambros, 13, was also injured after a utility pole collapsed on them when a dangling wire got snagged by a passing truck along McArthur Boulevard in Barangay Tinago.

Two weeks later, a similar accident happened along Veterans Drive in Barangay Lahug where Irene Bordon, 54, died after she was hit by a utility pole. Delia Bingala, 52, was also injured during the incident.

Saludes said VECO personnel was able to respond to the scene after it was reported by a concerned citizen, however, he explained that their personnel were not authorized to do repairs on other pole attachments. The incident has prompted VECO to initiate the signing of the new guidelines.

The ceremonial signing was held at the VECO main office in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City yesterday morning.

The signatories include representatives from PLDT, Sky Cable; Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN); Globe Telecom; Eastern Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. (Eastern Telecom); and Telecom Infrastructure Corp. of the Philippines (TelicPhil).

Mayor Michael Rama said he also wants power and telecommunication firms to remove the rotten poles and replace them with concrete or steel. Saludes said they had been replacing wooden posts with concrete ones to prevent accidents. — (FREEMAN)