Republic of the Philippines
THE HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HouseBi||No.8824
Introduced by: Hon. Arnolfo `Arnie' A. Teves, ]r.
AN ACT MANDATING AND REQUIRING ALL POWER, TELECOMMUNICATION, CABLE,
INTERNET, WATER AND SEWERAGE COMPANIES IN METRO MANILA T0 CONDUCT
INSPECTION AND TO RECTIFY DANGLING AND SAGGING WIRES AND OTHER OUTSIDE
PIANT FACILITIES NOT LIMITED T0 POLES AND PIPES ENCROACHING THE ROAD RIGHT
0F WAY
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Various surveys around the world indicate that Metro Manila suffers from spotty record
of poor urban planning. What started out as beautifully master-planned cities generations ago
have  ended  up  as cities  characterized  by congestion and traffic,  little  or poor access  to mass
transit,  few  open  spaces,  parks  and  public  spaces,  and  many  blighted  and  derelict sections.1
Contributory to this are dangling wires of electric company and different cable service companies,
and obstruction of meter of water concessionaires to the Road Right of way, which pose real and
potential threat to life and limb.   Electric and cable wires that hang overhead have in the past
caused electrocution and many remain as road hazards.
The unsightly dangling wires have also contributed to the "uglification" of Metro Manila.
This ugly picture becomes the picture of the whole country as Metro Manila is the window to the
Philippines, being the country's capital.
It is therefore imperative that electric power companies, telecommunication companies,
cable companies, water and sewerage companies secure their outside plant facilities so much so
that they meet globally acceptable standards in systematic wire installation, wire bundling, and
standard outside plant facilities installation not limited to poles and pipes.
The approval of this proposed measure is earnestly sought to eliminate road hazards and
threats to the safety of the people.
giv
ARNOLFO ``ARNIE" A. TEVES, |R.


Republic Of the Philippines
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
H.useBillN.8824
Introduced by: Hon. Arnolfo `Arnie' A. Teves, |r.
AN ACT MANDATING AND REQUIRING ALL POWER, TELECOMMUNICATI0N, CABLE,
INTERNET, WATER AND SEWERAGE COMIIANIES IN METRO MANILA TO CONDUCT
INSPECTION AND TO RECTIFY DANGLING AND SAGGING WIRES AND OTHER OUTSIDE
PLANT IIACILITIES NOT LIMITED T0 POLES AND PIPES ENCROACHING THE ROAD RIGHT
0 F WAY
Be it enacted by the Senate and  House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:
SECTION   1.   DecJara£I-on   a/  Poll.q7.   -   Individuals   and   private   groups,   including
corporations,  cooperatives,  and  similar  collective  organizations,  shall  have  the  right  to  own,
establish,  and  operate  economic  enterprises,  subject  to  the  duty  of the  State  to  promote
distributive justice and intervene when the common good so demands.
SECTION  2.    TI.£Je.  -  This  Act shall  be known as the "Metro Manila Anti-Dangling Wire
and Anti-Obstruction of Road Right of Way Act of 2022."
SECTION   3.   Covemge,   -     This  Act  shall   cover  all  power  distribution   companies,
telecommunications    companies,    cable    and    internet    providers,    water    and    sewerage
concessionaires operating within Metro Manila affording them road right of way.
These entities shall be collectively referred to as public utilities or utilities in this Act.
SECT\ON 4. Responsibilities Of public Utilities. -  Public utilities shall..
a. Fix and bundle up its sagging or dangling aerial utility line and utility posts.
b. Remove all old and unused aerial utility line and utility posts.
c. Relocate meters and/or sub meters.
For  this  purpose,  these  utilities  are  mandated  to  fix  all  their  outside  plant  facilities
including but not limited to Telecommunication Poles, Pole Hardwares, Transformers, Electrical
telecom tables, communication tables, electric wires, poles, water pipes, water meters including
sub-meters and  sewer pipes which obstruct the  right of way,  dangling and  sagging wires and
those facilities  which are outside the tension limits as well as any pole which fails to meet the
required tillage.


d. Remove any or all cables or cable wire that has no label. All cable or cable wires must
be  properly  labeled  such  that  for  every  ten  (10)   meters  of  the  cable  there  must  be  an
intercalation of the company who owns it for easier monitoring.  Any unmarked cables shall be
removed.
e. Remove any or all outside plant facilities which encroaches the road right of way.
SECTION 5. Mcasure a/Per/ormance. -All utilities are hereby given five years within
which  to  cover the  5,800  kilometers  of roadways  in  Metro  Manila  to  inspect,  rectify and/or
change their outside plant facilities.  All utilities shall, in every year for five years, rectify at least
1200 kilometers of roadways in Metro Manila.
All roads completed or cleared of any obstruction or any outside plant facilities which
were rectified shall be maintained in good order by the utilities and any wrong repeated will be
added  to  the  yearly  target.     For  this  purpose,  the  regulatory  agencies  shall  monitor  the
performance of the utilities and shall send a report to the oversight committee every six months
thereof.
Within one hundred twenty (120) days from the effectivity of this Act, the utilities shall
submit their respective development or redevelopment plans for the next five years to fulfill the
objective of this Act.
SECTION 6.   Ro/e a/£Jle LocaJ Government Unl.£  -The LGU concerned shall, as far as
practicable monitor any or all outside plant facilities of the utilities that encroached the road
right of way and dangling or sagging aerial utility lines. The LGU shall then notify in writing of
any such encroachment and dangling or sagging aerial utility lines to the concerned utilities for
proper   disposition   furnishing   such   copy   of  notice   to   the   Joint   Congressional   Oversight
Committee on Metro Manila Anti- Dangling Wire and Anti-Obstruction of Road Right of Way for
monitoring purposes.
SECTION  7. Penfl/tr.€s.  - All  LGUs  in  Metro  Manila through  the  City Engineering Office
shall ensure that utilities shall comply with the provisions of this Act.   They may withhold the
approval of the permits of erring utilities.
In addition to the above provision, Utilities  are  not allowed to get new subscribers  in
and  out of the  country for their  failure  to  comply to  the  provisions  of this  Act.    Regulatory
agencies shall not give any permit to erring utilities to transact with other companies or to get
new subscriber.
SECTION  8.  Congressl'oJ]aJ  Oversl.gfrt  Comml`ttee.  -  There  is  hereby  created  a  Joint
Congressional Oversight Committee on Metro Manila Anti-Dangling Wire and Anti-Obstruction
of Road  Right  of way  to  be  co-chaired  by  the  Chairmen  of the  Senate  Committee  on  Public
Services and the House of Representatives Committee on Metro Manila Development.
SECTIONI 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations, -The National Telecommunications
Commission,   Energy  Regulatory  Commission,   Department  of  Information   Communications
Technology and Metro Manila Development Authority shall promulgate the implementing rules
and regulations to implement this Act to include globally acceptable standards of regulation of
the utilities' Outside Plant Facilities, dangling and sagging wires within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act.


SECTION   10.   RepeaJl.ng   CJause.   -   All   laws   decrees,   executive   orders,   rules   and
regulations,  or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.
SECTION 11. Saparabi./fry Crduse. -If, for any reason or reasons, any part or provision
of the Act shall be held to be unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof which
are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
SECTION 12. E#ectfiJjfy. -This Act shall take effect fifteen(15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general circulation.
Approved.