Baguio pushes for bill requiring proper installation of electric cables, wires, posts

September 30, 2019 Metro BLISTT

Baguio City representative Mark Go has filed a bill that seeks to mandate the proper installation of electric cables, wires and posts in the interest of public safety.

The Baguio lawmaker authored House Bill (HB) 4222 in response to the prevalent low-lying cables and deteriorating posts in urban areas and cities, which he said posed great danger to the public and created a massive eyesore in these communities.

The representative cited past news reports of accidents and fatalities as examples, including that of a medical student from the University of Santo Tomas and a hotel employee who died after being electrocuted by live wire during heavy floods in Sampaloc, Manila in 2014.

If passed into law, HB 4222 will require the creation of an inter-agency committee composed of officials from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the City or Municipal Engineer in their respective areas to implement the standard height, volume and capacity of these electric and cable wires and posts before installation.

According to the bill, public utility companies will be required to submit a plan and design for installation of these wires and posts in a particular location to the city or municipal engineer’s office for approval.

The public utility company must seek the inspection and approval of the municipal engineer before installation.

Public utility companies must also conduct a quarterly inspection and maintenance of their electric and cable wires, posts, and equipment in their respective areas, and immediately replace any faulty electric and cable wires, and posts.

According to Go, public utility companies must be held accountable in every aspect of their operation, as public utilities are inherently tied to the interest and welfare of the public.

The representative also added that rapid urbanization and the unregulated rise in the population of metropolitan areas in the country have contributed to the turn of these neglected public utilities from merely being an eyesore to a public safety concern of national significance.