Iloilo City gov’t removes public utility lines along Calle Real

INQUIRER FILES

ILOILO CITY — The local government on Thursday, Jan. 2, started the removal of overhead public utility cables along J.M. Basa Street (Calle Real) after providers did not meet the Dec. 31 deadline set by Mayor Jerry Treñas.

Personnel from the City Engineer’s Office started dismantling the lines and poles of public utility providers in the afternoon after the city government met with some of them.

“This morning, they convened a meeting with all involved utilities to ensure coordination and consultations. Converge, Globe, Smart, and PLDT have confirmed that they have already removed their lines and poles in compliance with the city’s ordinance and the deadline extension set,” Treñas said in his statement.

City Regulation Ordinance No. 2023-006, which provides for the undergrounding of public utility cables along J.M. Basa Street and other specific areas, gave providers 240 days since the start of the implementation of the policy.

The undergrounding of public utility cables started on May 30, 2023 with a groundbreaking ceremony led by the city’s distribution utility, MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power).

MORE Power spearheaded the undergrounding operations, which were completed in October 2024 at a cost of P96 million.

Treñas initially gave non-compliant utility providers until Dec. 16 last year, extending the deadline to Dec. 31.