Dangling overhead wires will soon be color-coded so that they can be easily identified as to which utility company they belong.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants utility companies in the city to change all their wires particularly to address the dangling overhead wires that could cause accidents.
In a press conference, Osmeña said he wants the wires color-coded so that it can be easily identified as to which company they belong.
He said he will let the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) to take the lead.
“I told the PLDT to prepare a program for the changing of their wires. Ninety percent of the dangling wires are PLDT, I believe,” he said.
He said each utility company would get to choose their own color.
“If we see some wires that are not properly installed, we will know its owner by just looking at the colors,” he added.
Nagiel Bañacia, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief, said that during fire, they have difficulty dealing with spaghetti wires.
He said fire trucks could not easily access some roads due to loose wires dangerously hanging overhead.
“An example to that, a fire in Bario Luz, when the firemen responded they could not pass through because of the wires above,” he said.
The wires are all black, and it is difficult to identify whether they are from a telephone or a cable company, he said.
Bañacia said the ultimate purpose of the mayor’s request to the utility companies is for identification.
Dangling wires are becoming a threat and can be a risk especially during the rainy season.
“Aside from the fact that it is creating spaghetti (wires), bati ang aesthetics. From the past, it created some accidents,” he said.
Bañacia said they regularly received complaints at the Command Center concerning the matter.
Bañacia said the utility companies were instructed to submit their proposals on how to change their wires as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Osmeña said the plan of putting electric wires underground is not possible.
“We cannot do it in the city, but we will do it in SRP (South Road Properties). It is going to be done in SRP,” he said.