Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has firmly stated that the deadline for utility companies to move their wires underground will not be extended beyond the end of this month. This decision comes amidst ongoing efforts to implement an underground distribution system along Calle Real, the city’s historic business district. Treñas emphasized that the ordinance, passed in 2023, mandates all utility providers to comply, and the city has been actively working on this project for the past year.
The mayor addressed accusations from some contractors of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), who have blamed his office for their service disruptions. Treñas dismissed these claims as baseless and unfair, pointing out that contractors had ample time to comply but failed to do so. He stressed that the city will not tolerate such negligence and reiterated the deadline for removing wires and poles along Calle Real, initially set for December 16, 2024, but extended to the end of the month at the request of PLDT, Cable Star, and Globe.
Treñas warned that companies not showing intent to comply will face decisive action, with the City Engineer’s Office instructed to dismantle their infrastructure. The mayor underscored the importance of the underground cabling project in enhancing the aesthetics and preserving the heritage of Calle Real, which was declared a heritage zone by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in August 2014. The project, initiated in mid-2023 with More Electric and Power Corporation, covers a one-kilometer stretch of the historic district.