THE City Government of Cagayan de Oro has allocated a total of P3.9 million to "re-groom the city" by retrieving the dangling cable wires along the city streets which will start on Tuesday, April 17, along Yacapin-Osmena streets.
Mayor Oscar Moreno has partnered with key telecommunication players as well as the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (Cepalco) to remove the unused wires.
Moreno said the budget will be used to purchase equipment to clean the messy streets which are visible before the public eye.
As the city gears up to becoming a "smart city", Moreno welcomed the suggestions of Cepalco senior vice president Ralph Paguio and Parasat Cable Television chairman Elpidio Paras to build an underground system for telecommunication and electric power lines within the city's central business district.
"In the future the thrust is, we should probably have something more efficient like an underground line but just on major thoroughfares initially, because it is very expensive to have underground lines, but it's very efficient for Cagayan de Oro," Paguio said.
"We hope a long-term plan for the city should be a vital underground structure that will be combined with the drainage system so that we can have a city urban area that is free from unsightly cables and wire. We will gladly join the mayor in making this happen, our company is also looking forward to working with the mayor," were Paras’ words.
Moreno said they are working on the project especially in making it cost-efficient.
"We need everybody's cooperation in making this possible. This is important in order to make the city a smart city, and certainly a very competitive city. Specifically, we have bits and pieces of the project, eventually we will get there. We already have a technology available that cost-efficient. It's doable," he said.
The retrieval and cleanup operation will begin in Osmeña Street and will continue every day until all the abandoned or unused wires in the city are removed.
Task Force Hapsay Kable is headed by City Mayor Oscar Moreno and co-chaired by National Telecommunications Commission Regional Director Teodoro Buenavista Jr. and City Councilor Teodulfo Lao Jr. Cepalco, the City Public Service Office, City Engineer's Office, Office of the Building Official, and telecommunication companies such as PLDT, Globe, Smart, Parasat, Philcom, and Misamis Oriental Telephone System Inc.