Filipinos reacted to a post by CNN International anchor Richard Quest about the “spaghetti” wires he spotted in Mandaluyong City during his visit to the Philippines.
The British news anchor posted a video on February 26 of himself standing on Pioneer corner Sheridan Street, wondering about the tangled overhead cables nearby.
“So many wires!! And yet… it all works. (Well, the lights stay on!),” he wrote on Instagram.
“Everytime I see this, I just wonder how on earth does it all work?” Quest said in the video as he gestured at the overhead cables.
“But since the lights stay on and the internet’s working, this must all make sense to somebody,” he added.
“Look at all these cables… thousands of them intertwined like one big bowl of spaghetti,” the journalist noted, sharing more views of the overhead cables in the area.
“Amongst all this spaghetti, what on earth do you do when you have to find one wire that’s gone wrong? Quite extraordinary how it all works. But it works!” Quest exclaimed with an amused expression.
The journalist’s post earned over 13,000 likes and several comments from Filipinos who recognized the area he was in.
“Hi Richard, welcome to our country, that is called Spaghetti wires. The wires deliver 60 megawatts of electricity and gossip. [Joke],” content creator Macoy Dubs quipped with emojis of smiling and laughing faces.
“Omg, welcome to Manila,” another Instagram user wrote with emojis of laughing and grinning-with-sweat faces.
“That’s our landmark here. [Spaghetti] wire in the Philippines. Truly amazing, isn’t it?” a different online user commented with emojis of the Philippine flag and a laughing face.
“Quite embarrassing, actually, Richard! But that’s our country,” another Instagram user wrote.
Other Instagram users claimed to have seen a similar situation in other countries.
“Visit Dhaka, Bangladesh, Richard! It’s Linguini over there,” an Instagram user wrote. Linguini is a type of long and narrow pasta.
“Same story with the electric cables in most cities in India. The world needs a solution to organise these wires,” another commented.
“Same same in Thailand, respected, sir. It all works,” a different online user said.
Quest was in the Philippines to film a documentary about the Masungi Georeserve in Rizal, set to be released in April.
The sanctuary, rich in lush and scenic landscapes, has been under threat from illegal logging, quarrying, and land grabbing.
On ‘spaghetti wires’
Meanwhile, issues with tangled overhead cables in the metro have long persisted.
In May 2024, it was reported that a lawmaker filed a House bill seeking to eliminate dangerous, crisscrossing overhead cables on major thoroughfares nationwide.
House Bill 10427, which will be called the “Anti-Dangling Wires Act of 2024” if signed into law, stipulates that public utility providers will be responsible for removing the unsightly cables.
Those who fail to comply may have their government-issued operating permits revoked or canceled.
In June 2024, the Metro Manila Council approved a resolution urging local government units in the National Capital Region to pass ordinances regulating the installation of telecommunication and electric wires.
Last November, power distributor giant Meralco said it was looking to install its power cables underground to address the issue of “spaghetti wires” and improve storm resiliency.
Overhead cables are less expensive to build and maintain but are more susceptible to weather- and nature-related damage.
On the other hand, underground cables are less prone to such damage, though they may be vulnerable during earthquakes and flooding. However, they are more expensive to build and maintain. (J. Malasig/ Interaskyon)
