Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez called the groundbreaking of the 1 kilometer Underground Distribution System (UDS) project of the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) along Lacson Street on Wednesday, Nov. 13, a historic moment in the move towards making Bacolod a super city.
The project that will move electric and telecommunication cables along Lacson Street stretching from 5th Street to Bangga Ramos at BS Aquino Drive underground will cost about P80 million, Roel Castro, NEPC president and chief executive officer, said.
Construction that will last for 10 months is targeted to be completed in time for the 2025 MassKara Festival, Castro said.
It will be the first of 6 kilometers targeted by NEPC for underground cabling in Bacolod City, he added.
The underground power distribution system will improve safety and reliability, enhance urban aesthetics, reduce power outage risks, and will ensure future-proofing against harsh weather, Engineer Bailey del Castillo, NEPC chief operations officer, said.
It will also enhance tourism as trees along the stretch will no longer need to be trimmed, he said.
The UDS will be done through horizontal directional drilling (HDD) from the start and end of the 1 kilometer stretch only so it will not obstruct traffic, he also said.
HDD is a trenchless excavation technique that uses a drilling rig to install underground utilities.
Telecommunication firms can either lease underground cabling space from NEPC or share in construction cost, del Castillo said.
Underground cabling is aesthetically better than just removing spaghetti wires, Benitez said.
“It should be the norm in highly urbanized cities,” he said, adding that target is for underground cabling in the whole city.
Aside from its also being more reliable, it will also prevent cable theft, Benitez said.
Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella has proposed a city ordinance setting the guidelines for the installation, maintenance, and management for underground cabling systems in Bacolod City that is up for approval by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The ordinance is necessary for long term planning and development, Puentevella said.
The mayor said he asked that the ordinance include a provision on the creation of a city government coordinating body that will monitor underground cabling projects.
Bacolod. Rep. Greg Gasataya and Acting Negros Occidental Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, who were present at the groundbreaking rites, also welcomed and thanked NEPC for its underground cabling project.
SITIO ELECTRIFICATION
Meanwhile, Castro said that NEPC has allocated P260 million to enhance and fast tract its sitio electrification program in its coverage area.
Of the 42 sitios surveyed, 15 are ready for line construction, he said.
NEPC is also aiming to move its high voltage power lines that are crisscrossing haciendas to areas along the road to make them more accessible for repairs and to prevent long power outages, he said.
It is a big challenge, especially during typhoons, to repair such lines that can only be reached by foot through muddy terrain, Castro said.*