President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Thursday, March 6, that the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge collapsed last February because its design was “poor” and “really weak.”
“Ang puno’t dulo nito (ay ang) design flaw. It is a design flaw. Mali ang design. Ang history kasi nito, dapat ang funding nito was supposed to be ang project cost nito is P1.8 billion. So, binawasan under P1 billion para makamura. Ayan, inayos ngayon, ginawa ngayon ‘yung detail design,” Marcos said in a media interview in Isabella.
“We have no choice. We have to go back. So, nung nagtitipid tayo, tinipid natin sa PHP1.8 billion, useless. Ngayon, babalik na naman tayo. Gagastos na naman tayo. Papalitan na naman natin. Parang nagtayo na naman tayo ng bago,” Marcos added.
Marcos also said that the contractor, R.D. Interior, Jr. Construction, followed the plan and the construction work was done according to the book.
Despite adherence to the original plans and specifications, the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela province collapsed on February 27, 2025, after a dump truck carrying boulders, with a calculated approximate gross vehicle weight of about 102 tons, passed on it.
Marcos then expressed that there was a “design problem” since the specification for the said bridge was wrong.
““Ito lang ang suspension bridge na nakita ko sa buong mundo na hindi kable at iyan na mismo ang bumigay. Bumigay ang bakal. Kung kable iyan, hindi dapat bumigay iyan. Tapos yung pag-anchor ng support, tignan niyo, doon lang sa baba. Dapat sa taas iyan., hanggang sa taas,” he said.
The 990-meter bridge, featuring 12 arches and nine spans of pre-stressed concrete girders, was intended for light vehicles and serves as a crucial connection between Cabagan, Santa Maria, Enrile (Cagayan), and Tabuk City (Kalinga). Construction began in November 2014 and was completed on February 1, 2025, at a total cost of PHP1.22 billion, covering both the bridge and its approaches.
When asked about who will be responsible for the bridge collapse, Marcos stated that his priority is to resolve the issue first.
“You know, I always have the saying: Fix the problem, not the blame. Ayusin muna natin ‘yung problema. Believe me, you’ll find out who is responsible. Who is responsible is basically who made the design because the design is poor. And then also, those trucks should never have been on the bridge,” Marcos said. (TCSP)
