Underground installation of overhead cables starts

CEBU, Philippines — The underground installation of overhead cables and wires for utility and telecommunications companies in Cebu City broke ground yesterday around Plaza Sugbo.

The project is piloting in the city’s Heritage District.

At the start of former mayor Michael Rama's administration in 2022, he ordered the massive removal of spaghetti wires, especially in the downtown area now known as the Heritage District, due to their unsightly appearance.

Rama assigned City Councilor Jerry Guardo as the overseer of Oplan Ratsada.

Guardo, who is also the chair of the City Council’s infrastructure committee, was tasked with looking into underground cabling, a project that fellow city councilor Nestor Archival had long supported.

Despite Rama's dismissal, pending a petition with the Supreme Court, Mayor Raymond Garcia continued to push for the project, with Guardo remaining at the helm as the author of the City Ordinance related to underground cabling.

“Today, we take a significant step forward in shaping a better, more beautiful, and more progressive Cebu City. But before anything else, let me extend my sincerest gratitude to Honorable Councilor Jerry Guardo for authoring this vital ordinance. City Ordinance 2750 paved the way for today’s milestone,” Garcia said during yesterday’s groundbreaking.

Garcia emphasized that the event “is not just a symbolic act; it is the moment we breathe life into this ordinance, giving it real impact on our city and its future.”

Garcia also noted that the city has had a tangled web of overhead wires crisscrossing the streets, obstructing the view of its heritage sites and posing hazards to safety and efficiency.

Garcia said this initiative is a “game-changer.”

“Many may not fully grasp the significance of this initiative, but make no mistake; this is a game-changer. What we are doing today is not just about decluttering our streets; it is about reclaiming the beauty of Cebu City, preserving its rich history, and at the same time, ushering it into a more modern and progressive future,” Garcia stressed.

A city’s skyline, Garcia said, “should be a testament to its history and aspirations, not one marred by the chaos of tangled cables.”

“By moving these utilities underground, we are making Cebu City safer, more aesthetically pleasing, and more aligned with the great global cities that have embraced urban modernization while preserving their heritage,” he added.

The Freeman learned from Guardo that Fibernet Konstruction Company (FKC) is installing the underground cables along major thoroughfares in Cebu City.

The contractor was instructed to secure the necessary permits promptly to proceed with the project.

Guardo, in an interview with The Freeman, said that FKC had already conducted an ocular inspection of the pilot area.

“Ganina, nag-ocular inspection na mi sa katong contractor/supplier together sa mga representatives sa mga telcos diri..Actually, kaila raman sila kay halos-halos kay daghan na silag projects sa Luzon, sila maoy nag-trabaho(FKC) unya ang kaning mother companies sa mga telcos diri, familiar na pud sila sa program,” said Guardo.

Based on the proposed plan, the route will cover 1.3 kilometers in the Heritage District, including the streets of Jakosalem, M.C. Briones, and Burgos. This will not affect the ongoing CBRT link to the port component.

The SRP pilot area will be longer, with Phase 1 covering 12 kilometers around areas with existing locators, and Phase 2 covering another 10 kilometers in areas without locators.

The contractor will work on both areas simultaneously, with separate teams for each, and without any cost to the City government, Guardo said.  —  (FREEMAN)