Marcos blames ‘design flaw’ for Isabela bridge collapse

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday pointed out the collapse of the Cabagan-Isabela Bridge on a “design flaw” brought by a slashed budget from previous administrations. The bridge was started in 2014 and was completed in 1st February 2025, less than a month before a portion of it collapsed after vehicles passed by.

The project’s original cost was pegged at peso 1.8-billion, but it was slashed by half to some peso 900 million, the President said. The project was supposed to be completed in 2019, but had to be retrofitted even before it could be used. The bridge was designed to carry a maximum load of 44 tons, far below the 102-ton truck loaded with boulders that passed through.