For emergency repairs of utility poles and cables, call the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco).
Utility firms have signed an agreement adopting Emergency Response Guidelines (ERG), which will make use of Veco’s emergency response system and hotline 230-8329.
Complaints may also be sent through Facebook (Visayan Electric Co.), Twitter (@VECO_Cebu) and website veco.com.ph.
Officials and representatives from the Visayan Electric Co. and telecommunication firms in Cebu link arms to show their solidarity after signing the emergency response guidelines. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
The agreement was signed in the wake of the death of 13-year-old Ralph Bureros in July.
The boy died after a utility pole of PLDT fell on him in barangay Tinago after a passing truck snagged overhead wires.
The owner of the cables and liability was not pinpointed due to a pole-sharing agreement that allowed multiple users by different utilities.
As of yesterday, the boy’s father Edmundo Bureros said he still owes the funeral parlor around P8,000 for his son’s burial.
Veco reputation manager Jill Verallo said Veco already extended P10,000 as assistance to the family.
PLDT, which owned the pole, earlier gave P15,000.
The ERG authorizes Veco to conduct emergency repair work on the telecommunication companies’ wires, posts and other facilities. Veco would not need approval from the telcos to undertake repairs.
After Veco receives the call, the Veco dispatcher assigns an emergency crew (e-crew) to respond. The e-crew will then inform the dispatcher if temporary repair can be done or not. If yes, they will make the repair and inform the office once it’s done.
Veco’s Streetlight and Pole Utilities Department (SPUD) will then send a billing statement to the telco.
If the e-crew can’t make emergency repairs, it will inform the telco of the problem and coordinate with barangay officials to cordon off the area until the repairs are done.
“The objective of this ERG is to ensure that all pole attachment and repair, specially for emergency related works, are attended to accordingly,” said Veco’s SPUD Manager Ian Fabian.
Among the telcos that signed the agreement were Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Globe Telecom, Telecphil, Eastern Telecom, Sky Cable and CCTN.
The ERG also solved the problem of telcos and VECO fixing only their wires and panel boards.
Cebu CIty Mayor Michael Rama’s deadline for utilities to fix dangling wires and transfer hazardous posts by Oct. 28 was not met. Rama gave the telcos another chance.
The telcos are supposed to report substantial progress by February next year and completely bundle dangling wires and remove redundant posts by May 1.
Related stories : Rama says utility firms must meet deadline on wires