IN pushing for the removal of ‘spaghetti wires’ in Cagayan de Oro City, Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy asked and secured support from the Provincial Capitol to lend their Misortel facilities in order to jumpstart the city’s underground cabling network.
“In my conversation with Regional Director Ted Buenavista (National Telecommunications Commission) and (Misamis Oriental) Governor (Peter) Unabia, we agreed that we should start at Apolinar Velez Street just to serve as an example of our commitment at City Hall and the province to launch the city’s underground cable network,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Mayor Uy launched the ‘Task Force Klarex Nga Serbisyo Sa Kable: Ceremonial Cleanup of Cables and Wires’ program in simple rites at the Kiosko Kagawasan in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City at 10 am Wednesday together with Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez and several city councilors, Regional NTC-10 Director Buenavista and Talisayan Vice Mayor Rommel Maslog, who represented Governor Unabia.
Uy said his administration at City Hall is only following the example set by other local governments across the country which had initiated or completed their underground cable system.
“By removing these ‘spaghetti wires’, we not only remove these ‘eyesores’ from our city skyline but the cables can also be used by our farmers to prop their vegetables,” Uy said in Visayan.
Uy said the city will start with the wires at Apolinar Velez Street this year knowing the prohibitive costs of underground cabling.
“Once we complete (the underground cabling at Apolinar Velez Street) then we’ll proceed with Claro M. Recto next year,” Uy said in Visayan.
In response, Vice Mayor Maslog said he will discuss Mayor Klarex’s request with Governor Unabia.
“Knowing Governor Unabia, I’m sure that he will support this underground cabling network project of Mayor Klarex. Governor Unabia only wants to ensure that legal requirements are met but he shares the mayor’s vision to serve the people of Cagayan de Oro City,” Maslog said.
For his part, Councilor John Michael Seno credited the late councilor Teodulfo ‘Bong’ Lao for launching the task force on cables.
“It’s only fitting that we recognize his contributions given that this year marked his first death anniversary. While in other local governments the removal of ‘spaghetti wires’ was done separately by every company, in Cagayan de Oro City through City Hall and NTC, we mobilized the stakeholders to work together,” said Seno, who chairs the 20th City Council’s public works committee.
Seno said they’re lobbying for the passage of an ordinance that would standardize the placement of cables and electric posts in the city.
“We know that pursuing the underground cabling system/network will inconvenience a lot of residents but we will work together with the province (to use Misortel’s tunnel) to place our wires underground,” Seno said in Visayan. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
