Cebu City’s underground cabling project breaks ground

Local

THE maze of overhead cables that has long crisscrossed Cebu City’s streets will soon disappear underground.

City officials on Monday, March 3, broke ground on an underground cabling project, marking the start of efforts to modernize infrastructure and improve urban aesthetics.

Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia led the ceremony, calling the initiative a major step in transforming the city.

Garcia credited Councilor Jerry Guardo for pushing City Ordinance No. 2750, which mandates the relocation of electrical and telecommunication wires underground.

“This groundbreaking ceremony 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 said.

The ordinance, passed in August 2024, prioritizes the underground installation of cables along major roads, including Sergio Osmeña Sr. Boulevard, Colon Street, Gorordo Avenue, and N. Bacalso Avenue.

“For far too long, we have seen a tangled web of overhead wires crisscrossing our streets, obstructing our view of the beauty of our heritage sites, and even posing hazards to safety and efficiency,” Garcia said.

“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," he added.

It was last year when Guardo disclosed that 60 percent of existing telco wires are inactive, worsening the city’s infrastructure problems.

Moving these lines underground, he said, will not only clean up the skyline but also reduce blackouts caused by storms and accidents.

The project will be implemented through a public-private partnership, with a contractor responsible for funding, installing, and maintaining the underground network.

Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. has raised concerns that utility companies might shift project costs to consumers.

Meanwhile, Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera suggested that payments from utility firms using government property could help offset expenses.

Under the ordinance, utility firms must remove all overhead wires and poles within six months of project implementation. Roads and sidewalks affected by excavation will also be restored to their original condition.

The city has been tackling “spaghetti wires” since 2019, with 80 percent of the removal completed as of July last year.

Officials say this underground cabling project will also prevent the kind of damage seen during Typhoon Odette, which toppled electric poles and caused widespread outages.

With construction set to begin this year, Cebu City is turning an urban eyesore into a thing of the past, by quite literally burying it.(MyTVCebu)