Underground cabling in Metro Davao continues

After the completion of underground cabling system on San Pedro Street, the City Government of Davao, in partnership with the Davao Light Power Company (DLPC), has turned its sights to the removal of the 700-meter stretch of overhead wires along Magsaysay Avenue.

On March 2, the local government and DLPC gave the go signal to the operations of the 600-meter stretch of underground cabling system under San Pedro Street with a ceremonial switch-on led by city officials, DLPC affiliates and other stakeholders. The San Pedro underground cabling project began in March 2021 and was completed on February 19 this year.

DLPC Reputation Enhancement Department head Fermin Edillon, in an interview with the City Information Office on February 27, said the removal of the overhead wires on San Pedro was led by the City Engineer’s Office in a joint effort with utility companies in the city.

“Gimandohan ta na ibutang ang cable wires nato from overhead to the underground. We’re happy to inform you na successful ang atoang pagtanggal sa kaning mga cables and wires including the posts on February 19 diha sa dalan sa San Pedro (We are mandated to place our cable wires from overhead to the underground. We are happy to inform you that we have succeeded in our removal of the cables and wires including the posts in February 19 on San Pedro Street),” said Edillon.

City Ordinance No. 0152-17 mandates all telecommunication companies and Davao Light to convert overhead lines to an underground system, which aims to not only beautify the city’s busiest streets, but also to provide a much more reliable power system.

The project covers the whole central business district of the city- covering San Pedro Street, Ponciano St., Pelayo St., Bonifacio, Magsaysay Avenue and Quirino Avenue.

“Kining sa Magsaysay nato na project kay naa na sa first phase or sa first half niya. Ang first half ani is naa sa 700 meters lang. And kini, magstart gyud ni siya sa Postal Office hangtud sa Suazo na dalan (Our project in Magsaysay is in its first phase or in its first half. Its first half stretches up to 700 meters. This will start at the Postal Office up to Suazo Street),” said Edillon.

“And second phase ani niya kay didto sa Suazo hantud sa Boulevard na area (The second phase of this is from Suazo to Boulevard area),” Edillion added.

The Magsaysay Avenue underground cabling system is now at 45 percent completion, said Edillon, adding that most of the work left to be done concerns road restoration.

“Humana ta’g kalot sa dalan, nabutang na nato ang mga pipe sa ilalom, gina-restore na nato ang mga dalan. Though naa ta’y gagmay na semintuhonon ug butangan og asphalt, dili na siya ingana ka grabe compared sa nag-start gyud ta, (We are done digging, we have laid the pipes underneath, and we are now restoring the roads. We do have some roads to pave and cover with asphalt, but the work is not that lucrative compared to when we started),” Edillon added.

The DLPC spokesperson said that aside from the aesthetic merits of the project, an underground cabling system is a more reliable power distribution system than overhead cables. It is also safer as human exposure to power lines is reduced. CIO