AN OFFICIAL from the AboitizPower subsidiary Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the National Capital Region (NCR) is eyeing to adopt the Underground Electrical Distribution System in Davao City for "safety purposes."
Fermin Edillon, DLPC Reputation Enhancement Department manager, told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that DPWH-NCR team, who recently visited the city on March 21 to 22, 2022, is eyeing to implement the city's underground cabling system to avoid wires and cables to be hit in times of typhoons.
Edillon said Metro Manila is a typhoon-prone area, and that DPWH is avoiding possible electricity and communication-disruption in times of calamities, which was experienced in some parts of Visayas during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in December 2021.
"Pagkabalo nako (As far as I know), they would want to implement this because for safety purposes, and di maputol ang services specially kung naa (and they don’t want services will be interrupted in times of) disaster, particularly typhoon," the DLPC official said.
"Ginaagian og bagyo ang Metro Manila mao nahunahunaan nila na mu-implement sila og underground cabling sa Luzon (Metro Manila is a passage of typhoons, that’s why they thought og implementing the underground cabling in Luzon)," he added.
In a press release, DPWH-NCR said the agency is preparing for a pilot feasibility studies on the implementation of the underground cabling along the areas of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) and Katipunan Avenue Extension in Quezon City.
A team was sent in Davao City to observe the city’s implementation of the underground utility cabling system on March 21 to 22, 2022.
The DPWH-NCR team personally visited both the completed and ongoing portions in the areas of Claveria, C.M. Recto, Davao City Hall, and Sangguniang Panlungsod.
DLPC officials shared the process they had undertaken on the underground utility cabling system, best practices observed, as well as constraints encountered during the implementation of the project at the City Engineer’s Office.
One of the suggestions raised is the imposition of ordinances requiring full participation of the concessionaires, and the creation of “Underground Utility Cabling Committee” that will constantly coordinate and meet for developments and issues in the implementation.
"Gi-emphasize gyud namo nga importante nga adunay ordinansa (We emphasized the importance of passing an ordinance). The LGU [local government unit] should be on top of everything. Kung dili man gud, magkaproblema ka especially sa pag-control sa traffic, sa mga (If not, they will encounter problems in controlling traffic and the) utility companies. Dili lang baya power utility ang involved, but naa pud mga telco, mga cable companies, mga (It’s not only the power utilities who are involved, but also telcos, cable companies, and) internet service provider," Edillon said.
"Kung dili man gud sila tagaan og mandate (If they won’t be given mandate), most likely kung mu-obey lang or mu-follow ang usa ka utility company, OK ra (if a utility company will obey or follow, that would be OK), but how about the other utility companies? Nag-underground lage ka, but naa gihapon mabilin nga linya sa taas. Wala ni-implement ang uban (You are implementing an underground cabling project but there would still be remaining wires above since not all providers are implementing it)," Edillon also said.
The city’s underground cabling project is in accordance with City Ordinance 0177-14, Series of 2014. 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.
Edillon cited the ordinance as an advantage for the project's successful implementation of the project.
Meanwhile, other LGUs also had recently conducted a benchmarking in the city's underground cabling project. He said these are from Iligan and Sorsogon City.
Earlier, DLPC President and COO Rodger Velasco told SunStar Davao in an event on March 21 that they are working on the project to the entire stretch of San Pedro, and at the same time, in Ramon Magsaysay Avenue (formerly Uyanguren).
“Probably barring all delays such as weather and right-of-way, probably within the year, mahuman namo ang (we can finish the area of) [Phase 2] San Pedro,” Velasco said.
Other areas wherein the underground cabling project will be implemented include Ponciano Reyes Street and its lateral streets, and Quirino Avenue.