Davao Light starts demarcation for underground cabling along Magsaysay Avenue

THE Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC), a subsidiary of AboitizPower, will be working on the underground cabling of power lines along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City in June 2022.

DLPC Reputation Enhancement Department manager Fermin Edillon told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that DLPC had already started the demarcation of primary lines as part of the implementation of the underground cabling project along the avenue stretch.

"Kani siya nga among mark, in preparation ni siya, and amo kining ipakita sa City Engineer's Office para makita nila ang katibuk-an kung unsay hitsura didtoa sa project," Edillon said.

(We started the demarcation, in preparation for the groundworks, and we will be presenting this to the City Engineer's Office; so that they would see the coverage of the project.)

He said the underground cabling project along Magsaysay will be in two phases.

The groundworks, which will cover the portion of Central Post Office up to corner Suazo Street, are expected to commence either second or third week of June this year, he said.

Edillon said the project is in compliance of the City Government of Davao through City Ordinance 0152-17, Series of 2017, wherein 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.

To mitigate the possible traffic situation in the area, he said that their workers will only be working in the evening, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

Edillon, meanwhile, asked for the public's understanding as the project aims to free from the messy tangle of wires and cables.

"Hangyo namo sa community nga gamayng pagsabot lang. (We would like to ask for the community’s understanding.) It may cause some traffic sa publiko, but in the end, makahatag siya og impact sa atong ekonomiya (this would have a positive impact to the economy.)," he said.

DLPC has completed its underground cabling activities along CM Recto Street from corner San Pedro Street to corner Ramon Magsaysay Avenue in the city in August 2021. This was the second underground cabling project in the city with the first project implemented in 2016 around Davao City Hall and Sangguniang Panlungsod.

DLPC is also working on the project for the entire stretch of San Pedro.