CNN Anchor Can’t Believe the Spaghetti Wires in Metro Manila
"How on earth does it all work?"
(SPOT.ph) Metro Manila's streets are infamous for traffic, pollution, and those tangled overhead cables that look like something out of a cyberpunk dystopia. We have long been so used to this urban eyesore that we might not even notice them anymore—but for CNN International Anchor Richard Quest, the sight was impossible to ignore during his visit to the capital.
In a recent Instagram video on February 26, Quest stopped beneath a chaotic cluster of wires in Mandaluyong City, marveling at how they even function.
“Every time I see this, I just wonder how on earth does it all work? But since the lights stay on and the internet’s working, this all must make sense to somebody,” Quest said. “Thousands of them, intertwined like one big bowl of spaghetti. Amongst all this spaghetti, what on earth do you do when you have to actually find one wire that’s gone wrong? Quite extraordinary how it works, but it works.”
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Quest is one of CNN International’s most recognizable anchors. He began his career at the BBC before joining CNN in 2001, where he launched and hosted "Quest Means Business," a flagship program analyzing global financial markets. His contributions to journalism have been recognized with awards such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization's Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is currently in the Philippines to film a documentary on Masungi Georeserve in Rizal, which is set for release in April.
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Slowly but surely, spaghetti wires are disappearing in Metro Manila
The good news is efforts to clean up the mess are already underway. In June 2024, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) approved a resolution urging local government units (LGUs) to remove tangled overhead cables, following an incident where a utility post collapsed.
“May bumagsak na poste dahil sa sala-salabat na wire at nagdulot ng mabigat na trapiko. Walang nakadaan dahil nakaharang sa daan... Kailangan nang maiwasan ang ganito para hindi na umabot sa pagkawala ng buhay,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Don Artes said in 2024.
But Quest may not have been entirely right when he said “it works.” During that meeting with MMDA and MMC, executives from Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) explained that removing these wires remains challenging because it is difficult to determine which ones are no longer operational.
Despite this, some cities have already made progress. Since the resolution was passed, several local governments—including Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, and Pasay in Metro Manila, as well as Iloilo City and Baguio City—have successfully removed hundreds of tangled wires from sight.
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