BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring all public utility and cable companies operating in the city to phase out all old or dilapidated poles and posts that pose danger to the public and to install new ones and for the said public utility and cable companies to coordinate with all concerned parties for the transfer of their lines to the newly-installed poles or posts within 9 days from the approval of the measure.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon stated all cables or lines of public utility and cable companies such as Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Piltel, Smart, Digitel, Globe Telecom, Bayantel, Mountain view Satellite Corporation, Sky Cable attached to the old Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) poles or posts be immediately removed for the rural electric cooperative to immediately retire or remove the said rotten and leaning poles and to coordinate with the BENECO management for the transfer of their lines to the newly-installed poles or posts within the prescribed period of time.
Further, the ordinance stated all inactive cables or lines attached to BENECO’s poles must also be removed by the concerned companies.
The ordinance added public utility companies must conduct urgent tensioning of active dangling cables or lines and must strictly comply with the provisions of the Philippine Electric Code pertaining to vertical and horizontal clearances of wires, conductors and cables.
Under the proposed ordinance, failure of the concerned public utility and cable companies to comply with the provisions of the local legislative measure shall be punishable by a fine of P200 per pole or post per day as per inventory of the said dilapidated poles by the Public Order and Safety Division in coordination with the City Engineering Office.
The proponent claimed BENECO had been continually replacing their old poles in the city and likewise, other public utility companies have transferred some of their lines to the newly-installed poles.
However, the ordinance admitted BENWECO and other public utility and cable companies have left out some of the old posts and poles in other areas, including other major routes in the city, which pose a serious threat to the public.
Requests have been made by BENECO management to PLDT and other public utility and cable companies for them to immediately bundle, clean and correct their existing cables at the BENECO poles.
Aside from being an eyesore, the ordinance said the old wooden poles or posts with hanging heavy wires and cables endanger the life and property of the constituents for which the city may be liable should any accident or damage occur.
The proposed local legislative measure claimed the public utility and cable companies delivering the said communication, cable and other services to the city’s constituents have the responsibility to ensure public safety in connection with the delivery of their services.
The measure added it is noticeable that there are cable wires dangling in the streets and roads which are installed and tapped over other cables or lines with a consideration of the threat it poses, especially during typhoons or strong rains.
By Dexter A. See