By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Albee Benitez expressed full support for the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) underground distribution system, which aims to improve power reliability and efficiency in Bacolod City.
Benitez said a city ordinance mandating the shift to underground wiring is now on its second reading.
He thanked NEPC for heeding the city government’s call to transition to underground cabling.
“This really makes sense, as this should have been done before, especially in highly urbanized cities. It should be the norm for highly urbanized cities,” Benitez said.
The city government is working with NEPC to ensure the success of the project, Benitez added.
He said he plans to meet with NEPC to discuss the city’s potential support for the initiative, as well as engage telecommunications and cable firms to include their wiring in the underground cabling plan.
The city government has been removing tangled, damaged, and unused cable wires along major thoroughfares through the Spaghetti Wires Task Force. However, Benitez admitted that tangled wires remain a significant eyesore.
Power Watch Negros Secretary-General Wennie Sancho also endorsed NEPC’s underground distribution system as a vital step in transitioning from aging overhead lines to a modern underground infrastructure.
NEPC broke ground on November 13, 2024, for its 1-kilometer underground distribution system project along Lacson Street. The project costs PHP 79 million.
Sancho highlighted findings from research conducted by the Consumers Information Network (CIN) under the Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Energy and Social Services (ACCESS).
The study revealed that underground cabling improves safety, aesthetics, and resilience to natural disasters while reducing power losses and offering long-term economic benefits.
“This shift is essential for replacing aging overhead lines with modern underground cables,” Sancho said.
Sancho noted that underground cabling is already widespread in developed Asian countries, with 90% implementation in Japan, 80% in South Korea, and 75% in Singapore.
In comparison, Bacolod City is catching up, with 20-30% implementation in Metro Manila and Cebu urban areas, and only 10% in rural areas.
Other Southeast Asian countries are also progressing, with Thailand at 30%, Vietnam at 20%, and Indonesia at 15-25%.
Sancho emphasized the urgency for the Philippines to adopt underground cabling, warning that delays could lead to increased power outages, brownouts, and distribution losses.
“Delaying this transition may also hinder the adoption of emerging technologies like smart grids and renewable energy,” he said.
Sancho called for consumer education to raise awareness about the benefits of underground cabling and pledged that Power Watch Negros will lobby local government units and Congress for legislation promoting underground systems.
The group has adopted the motto “Cabling for Power Reliability in Negros Island Region” (CPR-NIR) to accelerate underground cabling projects and ensure a safer, more reliable, and environmentally friendly energy infrastructure.
