City eyes one-pole policy for utilities

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Government will begin implementing the standardization of electrical poles in the city to achieve a one-pole policy.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the Committee on Infrastructure of the City Council, said his ordinance establishes a minimum requirement of 16 to 80 feet of the wire installations in horizontal cross arm.

To complement the height requirement, Guardo said they also have implemented the standardization of the electrical poles. Guardo said they are currently conducting a pilot project of this scheme at the P. del Rosario extension.

“Gibutangan na namog horizontal cross arm. Ang horizontal cross arm, metal na siya nga gababag…ang mga wires man gud karon kay gipang attach rana sa mga poste, ila ra gipanghiktan,” said Guardo.

He added that with a horizontal cross arm, the wire will meet the standard height of 18 feet essentially elevating it.  “Kung duna man gani mo sag, naa ra sa mga 17 feet, taas ra gihapon. Mas limpyo na siya,” he said.

To achieve the said standardization, the one-pole policy must be also mandated. The policy corresponds to meeting the height requirement of posts, and installation of horizontal cross arm, while there will be no more pole ownership as it will be transferred to the city government.

Guardo said they will be checking these posts and assessing their heights. Those that had already met the standard height shall be retained.

“Kung naay nga unnecessary nga pole pwede na tangtangon namo and then usa lang amo ipabilin,” he said.

He explained that telecommunication companies must designate only one pole each in between two VECO posts.  Guardo further said that there is a need for uniformity of the electrical posts among the sitios, saying that it is made in different forms and in different materials.

He also said that telco posts are observed to have been redundant emphasizing that posts belong to different telco companies.

“Nikawat na sa atong sidewalk, atong pedestrian nigamay kay daghan ra kaayog mga poste, which are unnecessary,” he said.

Currently, telco companies observe a pole-sharing agreement wherein before they can attach anything to a certain pole they have to identify its owner first and ask permission. In this one-pole policy ordinance, this certain agreement will be eliminated since it aims to transfer the ownership to the city government.

“Ang City Government mao nay ilang pananghiran in order for us to achieve a single pole policy. We talked to them and they are very supportive to the plan in their order for us to achieve one pole policy,” he said. (CEBU NEWS)