MANILA – The F. Manalo Bridge in Pasig City was temporarily closed after it was hit by barges swept by the strong current of the Marikina River on Wednesday at the height of bad weather caused by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
“This bridge is scheduled to be rehabilitated or reconstructed because masyadong mababa ‘yung freeboard niya (the freeboard is too low). It's not really designed for the barges to pass through,” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan told President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in a situation briefing on the effects of the inclement weather, at the Presidential Security Command in Manila on Thursday.
Bonoan said the DPWH has enough funds to reconstruct the bridge.
"It’s just the matter of going through the design,” he said.
In the same briefing, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chair Romando Artes reported that 13 barges and tugboats were swept by the strong currents on Wednesday.
They are owned by a construction company contracted for a Japan International Cooperation Agency-funded project at the Marikina River.
"Pansamantala po naming ipinasara yun, kasama ng LGU ng Pasig because baka hindi po safe, malakas pa po ang agos. Nakipag-ugnayan na po kami sa office ni (Transportaton) Secretary Jimmy (Bautista) at sa Philippine Coast Guard. Andun pa po kasi ung mga barges, hindi pa po maalis agad dahil malakas ang agos pero may kausap na ang Coast Guard na mga salvage company na i-assess kung paano sila maaalis (We closed it temporarily, in coordination with the Pasig LGU, because it might not be safe.
The current is still strong. We are coordinating with the office of [Transportation] Secretary Jimmy [Bautista] and the Philippine Coast Guard. The barges are still there and cannot be immediately removed because the current is still strong. However, the Coast Guard has already coordinated with some salvage companies to assess how they can be removed)," Artes said.
Bonoan, meanwhile, said the DPWH has deployed personnel and assets for quick response operations in seven regions – Metro Manila, Cordillera region, Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
“Manpower in these areas are on standby since 5 a.m. (today),” he added.
The DPWH chief said only Kennon Road in the Cordillera has been closed due to landslides.
Meanwhile, he said some roads in Central Luzon might become passable in the next hours.
“Water is continuously receding. In a few hours, I think the estimate is three hours more, it will be already passable, particularly in Bataan,” he added.
Bonoan noted that some road sections in Calabarzon are passable only to heavy vehicles.
“I have instructed all our regional and district offices that once the clearing of national roads (is) finished and to continue to coordinate with local government units where they need the assistance of the department to clear out areas that are inaccessible for the moment,” he said. (PNA)
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