Tom warns utility firms to change wire colors

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña warned all telecommunication companies to start implementing and planning for the color coding of the spaghetti wires.

The mayor has been pushing for the idea since last year but there is no specific assignment of colors to various utility firms in the city yet.

Osmeña gave the utility firms before March 15, 2021, the day when the country commemorates the 500 years since Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines, to implement the color coding on all major roads of the city.

“One, I gave instructions to the city’s Technical Infrastructure Committee without consultation (to) identify all (those) who hang wires on our telephone posts and we will assign them a color. And before that event (500 years celebration), we will cut all the black wires,” the mayor told reporters.

Osmeña said he will hire another service provider that will cut the remaining black wires hanging along the city streets.

“I want to change the face of Cebu. This is our chance,” the mayor said.

One of his reasons for the color coding is to immediately know who’s responsible for the dangling wires, he said.

Osmeña said he is still waiting for the nod of the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) which, for him, is the most important utility firm.

Once VECO will agree, he said he will not mind if other utility firms will lose their business if they will not follow the color coding.

“If we will not do this now, it will not happen again for the next 500 years. This is our chance. This is our excuse to tell them now or get out…I’m asking for the support of the people on this. At least now, there’s a reason and there’s a deadline which is three years from now,” he said.

Osmeña said the black wires are not eyesores per se, but the way the utility firms install them is causing trouble to the city as there are incidents were in wires were snagged by vehicles causing deaths of bystanders.

“I call it hanging black spaghetti. The solution there is we change everything and no one is allowed to use black. So if there’s any wire there that’s black, cut,” he said.

Osmeña said he is also in constant communication with the Cebu-Cordova Bridge proponent to finish the project at least two weeks before March 15, 2021 so that the bridge will be operational during the celebration.

“I made representation. I will be meeting Mr. Pangilinan. It’s in their original plan, that the bridge will have a soft opening on March 15, 2021. I called and told them, not soft opening. It must be fully operational at least one week before. Fully operational because right now, even without an event, grabe gyod ang traffic,” he added.

Other projects include planting of millions of celosia plants to be sold to residents of the city and be planted on center islands; repainting of graffiti with red and yellow paints; homestay service; contest for the design and details of the official seal of the 500 years founding anniversary since it would be part of the city’s literature; among others.

Osmeña said public utility jeepneys will be rerouted since he will ask the bus companies to deploy the buses on the main roads. The mayor said he will not allow private cars during that time on main roads. (FREEMAN)