• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance requiring all utility companies operating within the City of Bacolod to properly identify, tag, and label their wires and cables including posts, poles, and other structures, for purposes of accountability, safety, and efficient infrastructure management, was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on first reading Wednesday.
Authored by Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, the proposed ordinance said the City of Bacolod recognizes the increasing volume of overhead and surface-level utility infrastructure, including wires, cables, posts, and poles installed by various service providers.
The presence of unmarked wires, cables, and supporting structures has resulted in difficulty in identifying ownership, delays in repair and maintenance, and increased risk to public safety, it said.
The absence of proper identification and tagging of both utility lines and their supporting posts/poles contribute to inefficiencies in clearing operations, disaster response, and urban infrastructure management, the ordinance said.
Proper tagging of wires, cables, and posts ensures accountability among utility providers and facilitates coordination with the city government, it said.
It is the duty of the City Government of Bacolod to promote public safety, orderliness, and accountability in the use of public spaces and infrastructure, the ordinance said.
To be known as the “Utility Infrastructure Identification and Tagging Ordinance of Bacolod City,” the measure requires all utility companies to submit to the City Engineer’s Office an updated inventory of their wires, cables, and posts including locations and identification codes, within 90 days from effectivity.
The proposed ordinance also provides the following penalties: first offense -written warning with compliance order (15 days); second offense – fine of P2,500; and third and subsequent offenses – fine of P5,000 and/or suspension of permits or clearances.*
