‘SPAG WIRES GONE, SOON’: Underground cabling closer to reality; power firm assures project’s safety

By John Noel E. Herrera

Spaghetti wires or tangled utility cables in Iloilo City’s public plazas and historic areas will soon be minimized or even eliminated after the Iloilo City Council approved an ordinance mandating all public electric utility companies, telecommunication carriers, and other similar entities to place underground all electrical and telecommunication wires and cables.

The measure was approved during the city council’s regular session on Wednesday, Jan 18, 2023.

The project, which will start in March 2023, will cover all plaza complexes, the Sun Burst Park in the downtown area, B.S. Aquino Avenue or Diversion Road, Mandurriao district, and all protected cultural and heritage properties in the city.

It aims “to promote and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources in Iloilo City” and ensure the safety of the people.

The city council, together with the city’s main power distributor, MORE Electric and Power Corp, also assured the public that the project is safe and will not cause an additional burden on the traffic situation in the city.

Engr. Bernard Bailey Del Castillo, MORE Power’s Senior Assistant Vice President for Network Operations, said that they will be using new technology to ensure that the underground cabling is efficient and safe.

“This time, we will be employing an innovative way of doing it, so we use this new technology and we already identified qualified contractors for that and there will be no more open excavation trench, meaning sa entry and exit pit lang ang opening, only two openings. There will be no excavation on the top of the road surface because we will do it underneath so we cannot disturb the traffic as well,” Del Castillo said in an interview.

“Part of the process also is to use GPR technology (ground-penetrating radar) which can detect existing pipes as deep as 10 meters so that we can avoid hitting or damaging the existing pipes along the road,” he added.

The ordinance also created Task Force Alambre, which will conduct mandatory periodic inspections of the underground installations to ensure strict compliance with the standards and regulations provided by the Philippine Electrical Code and other relevant laws.

All aerial wires, cables, and poles shall also be removed by the respective public electric utility company and telecommunication carriers within 240 days after the full implementation of the ordinance.

Violators of the ordinance after three notices will also be fined amounting to P5,000 while cancellation of permits will be issued on the fourth and final notice.

The cost of the project, including the restoration of the excavated streets or sidewalks, will also be charged to the concerned Public Electric Utility companies and Public Telecommunication Carriers.

It was earlier reported that the project is estimated to cost around P150.7 million with P54 million dedicated to the underground trench of telecommunication companies, while P96 million is for the electrical facilities of MORE Power.

Del Castillo also previously said that they are considering the design to be a hybrid underground distribution system over a full underground distribution system as the former would be less expensive compared to the full underground.

MORE Power also confirmed that the cost of the project will be passed on to the consumer, but emphasized that this will just be in small amounts (with an initial proposed cost of one centavo per kilowatt hour) that could barely be felt in their monthly bill.

“For the rate impact, it was also discussed earlier, and there was a comment to include the amount in the proposed city ordinance. Yes, the cost will be passed on to the consumers, but hindi pa final because we still need to ask for the approval of the ERC or the regulators before we can give the final rate,” Del Castillo said.

Del Castillo noted that MORE Power will lead the project implementation and we will also be doing the bidding as part of the process.

“The project term of reference is already ready and there is also another term of preference that is specific for telco trenching requirement and we are waiting for the comments before we can proceed with the bidding,” he added.

Del Castillo also stressed that the project will not just benefit the city, but the business sector as well, as it will have a positive impact on them.

“This is one of the very big projects once we bring down or convert overhead to underground, we will no longer be worried about sa mga posteng matutumba, we will not be worried about possible electrocution because of open wires, we don’t have any more need to spend money to keep on maintaining the clearing,” he said.

The city council, on the other hand, noted that the project will also bolster the image of the city as internationally competitive, capable of attracting investments while ensuring sustainable development and provide the populace of the city with a clear model of sustainable and aesthetic response to the rising demands of progress and their impact on the environment.