Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel is calling for a Senate investigation into the repeated incidents of bridge collapses in the country to hold contractors, government officials, and other responsible parties accountable.
“The number of incidents of bridges collapsing across the country has reached an alarming level. These have resulted in fatalities, injuries, and significant economic losses, raising urgent concerns over deficiencies in engineering and design, use of substandard materials, lack of proper oversight, and possible corruption in infrastructure projects,” Pimentel stressed in filing Senate Resolution No. 1319.
“Bridges must be built to withstand calamities and heavy use, yet their repeated collapses raise serious concerns.”
“Billions of pesos are spent and years are wasted building these bridges, only for them to collapse in an instant, endangering lives and squandering public funds. Bridges must be built to withstand calamities and heavy use, yet their repeated collapses raise serious concerns,” the veteran legislator underscored.
The seasoned lawmaker made the call following the recent collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela.
Under Executive Order No. 124 series of 1987, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shall serve as the engineering and construction arm of the State to ensure the safety of all infrastructure facilities and secure for all public works and highways the highest efficiency and the most appropriate quality in construction, according to Pimentel in filing Senate Resolution No. 1319.
The newly-opened bridge in Isabela, a 990-meter-long bridge, with a total project cost of ₱1.225 billion, was completed on February 1, 2025. However, just weeks after its opening, the bridge collapsed on February 27, 2025, when an overloaded dump truck attempted to cross it.
Since 2022, the senator has been calling for a review and investigation into government-constructed bridges, citing an alarming number of structures with questionable integrity.
“Multiple bridge collapses are evidence of structural failures.”
He pointed to multiple bridge collapses as evidence of structural failures.
The recent collapse of the Magapi Bridge in Balete, Batangas, on October 28, 2024, has once again raised concerns over the safety and integrity of the country’s infrastructure. The bridge reportedly gave way due to strong flood currents and uprooted trees carried by the water during Typhoon Kristine.
This incident follows the October 29, 2022, collapse of the Bantilan Bridge, a 30-meter concrete structure connecting Batangas and Quezon. The bridge, located between Barangay Tipas in San Juan, Batangas, and Barangay Bantilan in Sariaya, Quezon, was allegedly weakened by raging river currents and floods before eventually giving way.
Another similar case occurred on October 20, 2022, when the Carlos Romulo Bridge in Bayambang, Pangasinan, collapsed. Reports indicate that the incident was caused by two overloaded dump trucks exceeding the bridge’s weight limit, resulting in significant damage and injuries to four individuals.
In Bohol, the Borja Bridge collapsed on June 16, 2022. This was allegedly caused by a 12-wheeler dump truck that exceeded the bridge’s weight limit.
Another tragic event occurred in Bohol on April 27, 2022, when the Loay-Clarin Bridge, which spans the famous Loboc River, collapsed. This resulted in four fatalities and 18 injuries.
In addition, a bridge under construction in Kulafu, Magsaysay, Marilog District, Davao City, collapsed on February 18, 2022, while workers were filling its floor with fresh concrete. The incident injured three workers who were immediately taken to the hospital. The project, undertaken by MCCI Construction under the DPWH-Davao Region, was initially set for completion in March 2022 as part of a P93.7 million flood control and connectivity project.
Also, four people sustained injuries when a 12-wheeler truck fell 80 feet into a river after a steel bridge collapsed in Barangay San Isidro, Majayjay, Laguna, on January 29, 2022. The truck was allegedly transporting sand from Bacolor, Pampanga.
“These incidents highlight the urgent need to review compliance by national and local governments as well as contractors with engineering standards, design feasibility, maintenance protocols, and infrastructure budget allocation,” Pimentel concluded.
