Claim: A concrete bridge has never collapsed due to a typhoon in the Philippines until the collapse of one such bridge due to Typhoon Ofel (Usagi).
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The claim can be seen in a November 14 post on the Facebook account named “JP Enrile” by former senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
The post reads: “I am really amazed and surprised. In my more than a century on this planet, this is the first time that a concrete bridge is blown down by a typhoon. Weird!! Something is really wrong and ugly. Wasteful expenditure of public funds. Someone must have become richer, to say the least.”
The post likely refers to the San Jose Bridge that collapsed due to the impact of Typhoon Ofel.
As of writing, the post has around 5,000 reactions, 1,600 comments, and 721 shares. It was also shared on the verified account of Enrile’s daughter, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority administrator Katrina Ponce Enrile.
The facts: Before the collapse of San Jose Bridge in Cagayan, there have been previous instances of other concrete bridges collapsing due to a typhoon:
- A concrete bridge in Mindanao collapsed in June 2008 during Typhoon Frank (Fengshen), according to articles by France 24 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- The Burnay Bridge, a concrete bridge connecting Ifugao Province to other areas, collapsed in September 2011 during Typhoon Pedring (Nesat).
There are other cases of concrete bridges collapsing because of tropical cyclones not classified as a typhoon or super typhoon while inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
- A concrete bridge in Magapi in Balete, Batangas collapsed in October 2024 due to flooding brought about by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami), as reported by ABS-CBN News.
- The Bantilan Bridge, a concrete bridge connecting the towns of San Juan, Batangas, and Sariaya, Quezon, collapsed in October 2022 due to Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (Nalgae). In November 2022, a temporary pontoon bridge was made connecting the two towns. Paeng developed into a typhoon once outside the PAR.
False claims by Enrile: Enrile has made several false claims before, such as those regarding the Martial Law period which he made in a September 2018 interview with then-former senator and now president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (LIST: False claims of Juan Ponce Enrile on Martial Law)
Debunked: Rappler has published similar fact-checks of false claims regarding bridges:
- FACT CHECK: Panguil Bay Bridge project approved before Duterte’s term (October 3, 2024)
- FACT CHECK: Photo of damaged Marcos Bridge taken in 2020, not caused by Carina (July 26, 2024)
– Percival Bueser/ Rappler.com
Percival Bueser is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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