Bacolod City – An ordinance establishing underground cabling in Bacolod City, was recently passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading.
Authored by Councilor Claudio Puentevella, the ordinance said, that to ensure compliance by power, telecommunication, and cable network companies to the Philippines Electrical Code and Philippines Electronics Code, National Building Code of the Philippines in the establishment, installation and maintenance of their wires, cables and other paraphernalia, the underground cabling and wiring system project was created as one of city government’s desire to reduce the number of deaths caused by accidental
contact with electrical wires, fire incidents caused by electrical overloading, and theft and pilferage on different utility lines.
The city aims to remove dangling and unbundled overhead wires “spaghetti wires” which can be toppled down by trees during severe weather conditions, as well as reduce the number of deaths caused by accidental contact with electrical wires, fire incidents caused by electrical overloading, and theft and pilferage on different utility lines, it said.
In order to promote a resilient Bacolod City, all overhead electrical, telecommunications, cable television, and other wires from posts will need to be transferred to the cabling and connectivity plan of the city, the ordinance said.
The City of Bacolod has established a policy declaring spaghetti wires as a nuisance per se under Executive Order No. 3, series of 2022 and mandates its removal, it said.
It is not only the social responsibilities of all stakeholders (NEPC, TELCOs, cable companies etc.) but their duty and responsibility to maintain its wires. The common provisions on the respective franchise of these stakeholders provide that the operation and maintenance of all its stations, lines, cables, systems, and equipment for the transmission and reception of messages, signals, and pulses shall be in a satisfactory manner at all times, and as far as economical and practicable, modify, improve, or change such stations, lines, cables, systems, and equipment to keep abreast with the advances in science and technology, the ordinance said.
The proliferation of these spaghetti wires clearly establishes the fact below satisfactory operation and maintenance of these cables and lines, it said.
As part of the city’s power to regulate these activities within its jurisdiction to promote public welfare and good, there is a need for the city to come-up with an underground cabling and connectivity plan for it to address the proliferation of spaghetti wires in Bacolod City, it added. (Chrysee Semillano via tvds)