Telco and Electric wires: City eyes hybrid system for cables

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City is looking at implementing a hybrid-type of cabling system for telecom and electric companies.

The city wants cables from these companies placed underground if the cables are along major thoroughfares and inhabited areas. Meanwhile, cables in residential areas will be positioned overhead on posts.

In modern cities, an underground cabling system is put in place near airports, in scenic places, in areas where wires may endanger lives, or when overhead line rights of way are unavailable.

Mayor Michael Rama envisions for the city to follow in the footsteps of Singapore, progress-wise.

However, to put all cables underground across the city will take a long time to accomplish, thus, the decision to consider adopting a hybrid system, said Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on infrastructure.

“It would take a lot of time for Cebu City to go fully underground… so i-hybrid na lang nato,” he said.

Guardo said that during consultation, the telco companies themselves suggested to place underground the cables along main thoroughfares and to position overhead the cables in interior area, which are mostly residential.

“Mao pud niy suggestion sa mga telco operators… So, most likely, sa mga major thoroughfares, underground cabling and sa kanang ubang areas nga dili pa populated like sa SRP,” Guardo said.

He said Espina is also looking at implementing underground cabling in areas where the city is recovering the sidewalk and implementing the three-meter easement.

“Ang ingon ni Arch. Yumi Espina nga once ma-recover ang easement, adto pud iagi ang mga cable,” Guardo said.

Underground cabling may be implemented fully at the South Road Properties since it is still mostly “raw land” area.

“Full ang implementation ani sa SRP since raw lot pa man siya, but for the city, considering daghan kaayog residential, mga sitios, daghang overhead, dako kaayo nang trabaho,”  Guardo said.

“At least, limpyo siya… walay makitang wires along the main road… ari sa interior, naa ra,” Guardo said.

He said some investors have sent feelers to invest in the underground cabling project.

“Some investors also willing to shoulder sa aning underground cabling so di na ta magproblema sa budget unya ani,” Guardo said.

With this, Guardo said he will re-introduce in the council his proposal for underground cabling with modifications.

His earlier proposal concentrated on SRP and involved only the telcos. His fellow councilors have suggested that electricity lines be included.

“I will re-introduce this sa Council with modifications... mao gyud na ang vision ni Mayor Mike Rama nga mag-underground cabling na… This time, ang akong reso will be on a wider scale,” Guardo said.

In a recent visit to the Carbon Market, Rama instructed City Planning Officer, Architect Yumi Espina, and other city officials to clean the area of telco and electrical wires dangling from posts, describing the same as an eyesore.

The Carbon Market area is undergoing re-development to make it clean and beautiful to erase the notion that public markets are typically “dirty”. – JMO (FREEMAN)