DAVAO CITY. – Davao Light and Power Co. Inc. is setting aside P2.4 billion in capital expenditure next year to partly fund the ramping up compliance to a local ordinance.
The ordinance mandates the transfer of electric power and telecommunications wires and cables from overhead to underground in key locations of its franchise area by 2029.
Rodger Velasco, Davao Light president and chief operating officer, told reporters over the weekend from this year’s capital expenditure allocation of P2.4 billion, up to P250 million is being used for underground cabling activities.
Velasco said the remaining allocation is utilized for capacity expansion and establishment of new substations.
Davao Light’s underground cabling project was piloted in 2014 under City Ordinance No. 0177-14 Series of 2014 which required underground cabling within the vicinity of the city hall and the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City.
The company said that at that time, the technology and method used were simple as the wires were transferred by directly burying them underground.
After the success of the pilot underground cabling project around San Pedro Square, the local government through City Ordinance No. 0152-17 Series of 2017, also required the replication in other areas including C.M. Recto; San Pedro; R. Magsaysay avenue; C. Bangoy Sr., Bonifacio and Pelayo; and E. Quirino streets in Davao City by 2029.
The company has completed around 2 kilometers (km) or 25 percent of the 7.5 km. required in the second ordinance .
The company said the underground cabling project not only upscales the image of Davao but also enhances the safety and reliability of power and telecommunication services not just in the city’s central business district.
Prince Rainier Yamyamin, Davao Light project lead and design engineer, said after the pilot underground cabling project in the city, the company utilized a more efficient process.
“Transferring the wires underground using conduits means we excavate, lay out the conduits, then insert the cables for the primary lines along the road and secondary electric lines along the sidewalks,” Yamyamin said.
Yamyamin added compared to directly burying the wires underground, the semi-direct method is easier to maintain and off ers more protection from physical damage since all the cables run through conduits.
