BAGUIO CITY, PHILIPPINES - Some congressmen in the House are now proposing to move the country's electricity and telecommunications lines underground.
This is to ensure that the electricity supply will not be cut off, as well as to prevent telecommunications being affected in the event of a disaster like the Taal Volcano eruption, said House Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera-Dy.
The congressman insists that the burden on disasters will be lessened by ensuring that power supply is not cut off.
According to Herrera-Dy, the author of House Bill 5845 or the proposed National Underground Cable System Act, the underground cable system is currently being implemented in places like Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and Baguio.
He said it would be nice if other cities would adopt this system as well.
“With the Taal Volcano eruption, Metro Manila, Tagaytay City, Lipa City, and Batangas City now have more reason to bury those underground cables. They need not wait for the national government to enact a law, ”Herrera-Dy said.
"They simply have to conduct feasibility studies and enact local ordinances, and look for funding outside of their annual budget," he added.
Herrera-Dy said underground cabling could be done in 10 years, but local governments should study it first.
