In Philippines, crumbling bridges hinder Marcos’ infrastructure clean-up push

The collapse of two bridges in the northern Philippines just months apart has cast a harsh spotlight on the country’s ageing infrastructure and stirred renewed scrutiny of corruption in public works projects.

While officials have pinned the latest incident on overloaded trucks, critics and engineering experts warn that poor maintenance and cost-cutting in construction may be to blame, potentially undermining President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s push to clean up the country’s infrastructure pipeline.

On Monday, the 74.7-metre (245-foot) Piggatan bridge in the town of Alcala in Cagayan province collapsed, injuring seven, as four trucks laden with agricultural goods such as rice and corn fell six metres (20 feet).

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in its initial report that the 45-year-old bridge had been weighed down by three trucks estimated to be carrying 50 tonnes worth of cargo each, far beyond its capacity of 18 tonnes.

Cagayan Governor Edgar Aglipay said cases would be filed against the owner of the trucks linked to the incident, which came months after the US$20 million Cagayan-Santa Maria bridge in neighbouring Isabela province also gave way in February, following its inauguration earlier that month.

Alcala Mayor Tin Antonio insisted that the “onus to provide safe and sound bridges and roads rests upon the DPWH, urging the agency to install structures that “meet the demand of the times” and refrain from using “overloading” as an excuse to dodge accountability.

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