FLAWED FROM THE START? Defective design could have induced a bit of the Sta. Maria-Cabagan bridge in Isabela province to break down on Feb. 27, 2025, injuring six individuals, together with an 8-year-old boy. — VILLAMOR VISAYA JR.
MANILA, Philippines — There have been already considerations concerning the structural integrity of the P1.2-billion bridge that collapsed in Isabela province as a result of “cracks” that authorities inspectors already observed earlier than it was opened to the general public final month, a senior official of the Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) informed the Senate on Friday.
On the listening to of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Public Works Undersecretary Eugenio Pipo Jr. stated the mission engineer first reported in 2018 a “structural failure” on the concrete slab of “Span 8” of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge, prompting the DPWH to hunt a third-party entity to examine the construction.
From its unique price of P413 million in 2014, the federal government spent greater than triple of its preliminary finances to finish the 990-meter bridge, which collapsed whereas a dump truck loaded with stones was passing by its third section on Feb. 27.
READ: Isabela bridge collapse: Palace eyes deeper probe
“The integrity [of the bridge] is already questionable at the moment as a result of [while] it isn’t but subjected to load, there have been already perceived defects. There have to be one thing mistaken,” Pipo informed reporters after the three-hour proceedings.
P275-M retrofitting fund
He stated these concerned within the mission, together with the non-public contractor, RD Inside Junior Development Corp., have been simply passing the blame on one another.
READ: Isabela bridge collapse initially traced to ‘under-design’
“That’s why we employed a third-party guide. However there was no particular [finding] whose fault is it,” the DPWH official added.
Fielding questions from Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who presided over the listening to, Pipo admitted the federal government had awarded a separate contract value P275 million to RD Inside in Might 2023 for the retrofitting of the bridge.
However Cayetano questioned the DPWH’s resolution to bid out the restore job, mentioning that this could have been finished by the contractor without charge to the federal government.
READ: 4 vehicles fall into river as newly retrofitted bridge in Isabela collapses
“Isn’t that an anomaly? If there have been cracks, who ought to pay for the restore? That bridge is lower than 15 years outdated,” Cayetano informed Pipo.
“You didn’t embrace in your findings the reason for the issue when you recognize that [the bridge] continues to be beneath guarantee … Whether or not the cracks have been because of the design or not, who must be answerable for that?” he stated.
Bridge collapse
In response, Pipo stated they have been nonetheless within the course of of making a committee that might look into the collapse of the general public construction.
He stated the division had additionally but to put any of its personnel beneath preventive suspension two weeks after the incident occurred.
This additional irked Cayetano, who famous the DPWH was allotted with P1.1 trillion this yr.
“It has been two weeks since this occurred. Is that this not pressing for the DPWH?” he stated.
“I’m very disillusioned with how the DPWH is taking this … They don’t also have a working idea (on why the bridge collapsed) two weeks after it occurred,” Cayetano added.
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