City Councilor Matthew Mendoza has once again called the attention of utility providers, particularly telecommunications companies (telcos), to address what he described as “spaghetti wires” seen tangled and hanging along roads in the city, which he said pose a danger to the public.
Mendoza made the call following a recent vehicular incident involving a motorcycle, in which a passenger died and the driver was injured after they became entangled in a hanging cable along a road.
He noted that he had already called the attention of utility providers last year regarding tangled and hanging wires.
He said similar hazards can be found along different roads in the city, where cables and wires can be seen hanging low or sagging, posing risks to motorists and pedestrians.
“Thousands of people use our roads every day (where) public safety must always remain one of our priorities,” he said in a privilege speech during the City Council’s regular session on Monday.
Mendoza likewise reminded everyone of Ordinance No. 1025, which “regulates the installation, rehabilitation and maintenance of telecommunications, power electrical wires, cables and other distribution lines within the city of Puerto Princesa.”
He said the ordinance provides a framework for the “proper installation and maintenance of these facilities and for promoting safer conditions within our communities.”
Additionally, he said Resolution No. 331-2025 calls on concerned agencies and companies to conduct regular cleanup drives and remove vegetation along public roads to help promote cleanliness and public safety.
“Kayang panawagan ko ay hindi lamang para sa isang opisina or isang sector, this is a call for coordination and cooperation,” he said.
“We can bring together the concerned offices of the city government, our barangays, power providers, telcos, and other utility providers so that we can collectively identify areas where wires and cables may require attention,” he added.
Moreover, Mendoza said the call is not just about messy cables and wires but also about ensuring that infrastructure is properly maintained to prevent potential hazards.
He also called on telecommunications, power and other utility providers to conduct inspections and coordinated corrective actions concerning hazardous, low-hanging, sagging, tangled and disordered wires and cables, as well as overgrown vegetation along public roads, to prevent more accidents in the future.
