New Cebu City ordinance mandates underground telco, power line installation

Vehicles passing through downtown Cebu City. CDN FILE PHOTO/Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The City Council has approved an ordinance requiring all electrical power lines, cables, and telecommunication and television lines to be placed underground.

Authored by Councilor Jerry Guardo, this ordinance will be known as City Ordinance No. 2750.

The ordinance mandates the installation of underground cabling throughout Cebu City, as outlined in Section 3.

Section 4 requires building owners and establishments to ensure their properties are compatible with underground installations and to grant access for maintenance and installation.

Before any excavation or cable laying can occur, approval must be obtained from relevant city departments and government agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Engineering and Public Works, Cebu City Environmental and Natural Resources Office, and Technical Infrastructure Committee, and among others.

READ: Underground cabling: Its advantages and disadvantages

Coverage

The following major thoroughfares/areas shall be prioritized for underground cabling:

* Sergio Osmeña Sr. Boulevard;
* General Arcadio Maxilom Avenue;
* Colon Street;
* Gorordo Avenue;
* Salinas Drive;
* M.J. Cuenco Avenue;
* Juan Luna Street;
* Governor Cuenco Avenue;
* N. Escario Street;
* Sergio Osmena Avenue;
* Archbishop Reyes Avenue;
* Magallanes Street;
* Dionisio Jakosalem Street;
* Mabini Street;
* J. Alcantara Street;
* Urgello Street;
* Junquera Street;
* Juana Osmeña Street;
* B. Rodriguez Street;
* P. Del Rosario Street;
* South Road Properties (SP);
* Francisco Vestil Street;
* Natalio Bacalso Avenue;
* Tres De Abril Street;
* Katipunan Street;
* Francisco Llamas Street;
* E. Sabellano Street;
* Hi-way Tagonol Street;
* Francisco Jaca Street;
* M. Velez Street;
* Vicente Rama Avenue;
* C. Padilla Street;
* Salvador Street;
* M.L. Quezon Boulevard;
* Maria Gochan Street;

Effectivity

Within six months of the ordinance taking effect, all aerial wires, cables, and poles must be removed by the respective utility and telecommunication companies, according to Section 6.

“The streets, sidewalks, thoroughfare, passageways, alleys, highways, bridges and the like that were removed, destroyed and/or excavated shall be properly restored to its original state and provided, the removal of the existing overhead lines shall be implemented within six months after the completion of the UDS.”

Implementation and construction are set to begin later this year.

The Underground Distribution System (UDS) has already started operating on major thoroughfares in the city.

Guardo previously mentioned that the pilot operation focused on Osmeña Boulevard. /clorenciana