The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, requested all telecommunications companies to submit their existing and proposed underground fiber optic cabling plans within the city’s territory to the City Planning and Development Office for review, recommendation and proper coordination with the city’s legislative body.
In a resolution, city legislators stated it is necessary for both the City Planning and Development Office and the City Council to be well informed and acquainted on the existing and proposed underground fiber optic cabling plans of the various telecommunication companies operating in the city to allow for these offices to formulate appropriate polices that will balance the need of technological advancement and the convenience of the people.
The council pointed out the need for telecommunication companies to submit their existing and proposed underground fiber optic cabling plans to the concerned offices for review for the proper coordination of the recommendations with the City Council to iron out matters in related existing plans, programs and projects.
Section 24, Article 2 of the 1987 Constitution assured that the State recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation building.
Earlier, the City Planning and Development Office pursuant to Article 6, Section 476 of Republic Act (RA) 7160, or the Local Government Code of the Philippines, initiated the formulation and oversee the implementation of a people-powered comprehensive development planning efforts for the city to achieve an improved quality of life for its constituency.
According to the council, telecommunication has been identified as the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical or other electro-magnetic systems taking into consideration the current situation in the city due to the global Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and that it can be considered an essential need in terms of work and education.
The council stipulated that to better serve the public, many telecommunication companies are now installing underground fiber optic cables to help decongest the already crowded poles but this will reportedly cause some serious draw backs.
The council claimed there are reports of alleged excavations in the city for the purpose of installing underground fiber optic cables in some places where has resulted in a number of inconveniences, such as traffic to the constituents of the barangays.
The resolution will be transmitted to the concerned offices of the city government and the various telecommunication companies operating in the city for their information, guidance and further needed action so that such endeavor will be aligned with the efforts of the city to remove the dangling wires in the different parts of the city.
The council underscored the importance of the telecommunication companies coordinating all their activities with the city to prevent the occurrence of future problems. By Dexter A. See
