Manila fights ‘spaghetti’ wires

MANILA, Philippines —  Tangled overhead cables in Manila are being removed after Mayor Isko Moreno launched yesterday a campaign against “spaghetti” wires.

All telecommunication, cable and power companies were ordered to remove tangled and abandoned overhead cables across Manila.

“Two million kilos of unnecessary, unutilized and unusable wires block views and could cause poles to tumble, endangering pedestrians,” Moreno said.

Without approval of the Manila Electric Co. and clearance from the city government, utility companies were directed to avoid attaching wires to electric posts owned by Meralco.

Meralco corporate communications head Joe Zaldarriaga affirmed the company’s support for the campaign, saying they “would not stop until the last eyesore ‘spaghetti wire’ is cleared.”

In August last year, Meralco started clearing tangled cables in Intramuros.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has its own resolution to regulate the “construction, installation and maintenance of distribution lines.”