By Paulo Loreto Lim

Following the recent installation of 60 LED floodlights at Iloilo City’s Jaro Plaza, La Paz Plaza, and Plaza Libertad, Mayor Jose Espinosa III said he is considering solar-powered streetlights for the city.

After speaking with representatives from the Panay Electric Company, Inc., he said, “We are currently studying the possibility of using solar energy for our streetlights that are located in the barangays.”

The mayor explained he would prefer to have streetlights that do not require electrical cables, noting the potential for fire incidents and to dissuade city residents from hanging their clothes from the said cables.

He also wants to tamp down on the practice of unauthorized connections made to electrical lines.

“They cannot do illegal tapping anymore once we use solar power,” Espinosa explained. “These streetlights will be turned on at night and will be charged during the daytime.”

The mayor previously ordered the removal of illegal structures, which included kiosks selling ‘ukay-ukay,’ or second-hand clothing retailers, from Jaro Plaza and Mandurriao Plaza. During his inspections, he observed unauthorized electrical connections made to the city government line in Jaro Plaza.

Currently, streetlights at Fort San Pedro and in the City Proper district are currently solar-powered./PLL, WDJ