Lumapas pushes ‘single pole’ policy for all utility firms in Mandaue City
Participants of a public consultation on the proposed ‘one pole’ policy that was organized by the Mandaue City Government on Thursday, Sept. 21. | CDND photo / Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Mandaue City Government gathered stakeholders on Thursday, September 21, to discuss a proposal to allow utility firms to only use a single pole.
After the consultation, Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, the chairman of the Committee on Transportation, intends to submit to the City Council a draft ordinance that aims to eradicate low-lying, unsightly and dangling electrical wires and internet cables.
Lumapas wanted his draft measure to be called ‘A policy for a safe and orderly aerial utility infrastructure of Mandaue City.’
At present, more than one pole is erected in one location with a distance of less than two meters from each other.
If Lumapas’ proposed legislation is approved, the dominant utility company that serves the most number of customers in the city will be the only one authorized to install poles.
Moreover, all of the utility companies that operate here will be required to elevate their cables from 16 ft. to 20 ft. from the ground, he said.
“We are doing this. Hopefully if makabuhat ta ani, we will be the first LGU dinhi tingale sa Cebu, as I’ve known sa atoang VECO kay they are pushing for this, kay tinood man kung makita sad ninyo kini’ng cluster nga poste samok gyud baya kaayo,” Hyll Retuya, legal officer of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) said during Thursday’s consultation that was held in a hotel in Mandaue City and attended by city and barangay officials, representatives of utility companies and other stakeholders.
Mayor Jonas Cortes, for his part, said he wanted Lumapas’ proposed legislation implementated as soon as it gets the nod of the City Council.
In addition, Cortes said he was also looking at the possibility of transferring cables underground.
But such a proposal, he said, would require a huge allocation and more time to implement.
“It is the ideal [thing to do] but unfortunately, there’s a huge amount for implementing such a project and precisely why we are doing something that is doable and the immediate solution of these dangling, spaghetti wires,” the mayor said.
While the Mandaue City government continue to explore options, the clearing and bundling of dangling wires that started early this month, is still being implemented.
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