Mayor Eyes Underground Cabling in Diversion Road

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Following the underground cabling of public utility wires on J.M. Basa Street (Calle Real) last year, the city government plans to expand the project to Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, also known as Diversion Road.

Mayor Jerry Treñas announced on Wednesday, Dec. 11, that he will urge public utility companies to relocate their overhead wires underground along Diversion Road, one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

“After clearing Calle Real of overhead wires, the city government will make sure that telcos, cable companies, and other firms comply with the city ordinance to place all overhead wires underground along Aquino Avenue. I am asking for your cooperation and support,” Treñas said via Viber.

He added that existing underground facilities along Diversion Road’s stretch could potentially be rented by utility companies for their distribution systems.

The mayor’s push aligns with his recent calls for telecommunications and cable companies to address the city’s tangled “spaghetti wires” and relocate them underground as soon as possible.

Treñas warned during a Monday press conference that the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) would take decisive action if companies fail to comply.

He told Daily Guardian that companies face a compliance deadline of Jan. 16 for Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue, while CEO chief Salvador Pedregosa has been tasked to meet with utility providers for input.

However, Treñas clarified that the Dec. 16 deadline remains in effect for Calle Real.

City Regulation Ordinance No. 2023-006 mandates public utility companies, including electric, cable, telephone, and internet providers, to place their wires and cables underground.

The ordinance covers not only Calle Real and Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue but also city plazas, Sunburst Park, and all protected cultural and heritage sites in Iloilo City.

Under Section 7, utility companies will shoulder the costs of undergrounding, with MORE Electric and Power Corporation customers charged PHP 0.01 per kilowatt-hour over the next 30 years to cover expenses.

Section 6 states that non-compliant companies will receive three notices before being fined PHP 5,000. After a fourth notice, their business permits will be canceled.