More than 12,000 damaged and leaning electric poles across Manila must be cleared or replaced after Mayor Isko Moreno ordered Meralco to act on every post flagged by the city’s mapping system. The order applies to every affected part of the capital.
During a consultative meeting on “systems loss” charges at Manila City Hall, Domagoso pressed Meralco to address all unserviceable poles identified through ArcGIS. The city mapped more than 33,000 electric poles and found over 6,000 damaged posts and another 6,000 leaning across Manila. The directive covers every affected area included in the citywide assessment.
Domagoso told Meralco not to favor one area over another. He said every unsafe or idle pole listed by the city must be addressed. Meralco representatives committed to accelerate the clearing of affected posts and submit a timeline for completion.
“There may be some shortcomings in the past, but we try to correct it today and in the future. You have a friend in the City,” Domagoso told company representatives.
The meeting also tackled illegal electrical connections and problems faced by Meralco crews during anti-pilferage operations. Meralco representatives said some barangay officials allegedly use illegal connections in their own households and have blocked or delayed enforcement activities.
Domagoso assured crews that the Manila Police District would provide protection during operations. “Itong mga ito ay nagtatrabaho lang, they’re doing their job, they should not be put in harm’s way,” he said.
The city government will coordinate directly with barangays before enforcement work to address access refusals and right-of-way concerns raised by Meralco. Domagoso also ordered a real-time coordination channel linking City Hall, the Manila Police District and Meralco to speed up communication and field response.
