THE Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC), a subsidiary of AboitizPower, will be working on the underground cabling of power lines along San Pedro St. and Ramon Magsaysay Avenue this year.
“Nahuman ang study sa San Pedro, na storya na pud mga business establishments with the help of City Engineer’s Office (We just finished the study for San Pedro St. and we are already in talks with the business establishments in the area with the City Engineer’s Office (CEO)),” Fermin Edillon, DLPC Reputation Enhancement Department manager, said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao on March 10, 2021.
He said they have already begun with the study of the Ramon Magsaysay Ave. section of the underground cabling project.
However, Edillon said they are expecting some delays on the completion of the project if they encounter issues on the road right of way (ROW).
“Naa jud tendencies ma delay ang project (Projects like this have a tendency to be delayed) because of issues of ROW. Ang CEO is on top of everything and we are closely coordinating with them together with other telcos,” Edillon said.
He also said they are closely coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with regards to road excavations.
Edillon said it is more efficient to implement the underground cabling project alongside road excavations of DPWH in the area. He said they want to avoid a scenario where they will have to make excavations right after DPWH completes its road works and have covered with cement the excavations they filled.
“Mas maayo nga sabay-sabay, maong we are coordinating with DPWH (It is better that we work alongside together that is why we are coordinating with DPWH),” he said.
The underground cabling of power lines in San Pedro St. and Ramon Magsaysay Ave. is the second phase of the Underground Distribution System Project of the City Government of Davao through City Ordinance 0152-17, Series of 2017.
Section 5 of the ordinance mandates all electric utility companies and public telecommunication carriers servicing the city, including but not limited to other persons constructing, maintaining, installing aerial wires and cables shall place all the wires and cables underground.
The first phase covers C.M. Recto St. (Claveria). The third phase will cover C. Bangoy St., Bonifacio St., and Pelayo St. while the fourth phase will cover Quirino Ave.
Chad Ramos, DLPC Power Systems Planning and Design Department Manager, said during DLPC’s KuryenTalks on Wednesday, they have already completed the underground cabling for C.M. Recto.
“Hinay-hinay sa pag-energize para ma-check nato if wala issues before i-transition nato atong customers from the overhead system (We have started to gradually energize the underground powerlines to see if there are any issues before we transition the power source of our customers from the overhead system),” Ramos said.
Edillon said this is to ensure that if there are problems with the underground powerlines, there will be a back-up source -- the overhead powerlines. However, based on their recent testing, they found no issues yet in the underground powerlines of C.M. Recto.
He said if there are no more problems that needed to be addressed, they target to remove the overhead power lines within March.
Edillon added that gradual energizing of the underground powerlines along C.M. Recto is also to ensure the safety of laborers working on the drainage project of DPWH.
In 2016, DLPC completed the underground cabling of powerlines surrounding the area of the Davao City Hall and Sangguniang Panglungsod in time for the 79th Araw ng Dabaw celebration.
In 2017, the Davao City Council passed City Ordinance No. 0152-17, Series of 2017, for the implementation of the Underground Distribution System Project in the city.