00:00On top of more than 30 steps,
00:23a few students cross a hanging bridge in Sibol Springs, San Miguel, Bulacan.
00:31Christine Joy Blanco, a one-year-old girl,
00:34carefully crosses the bridge as she enters the school.
00:38I noticed that the road was very difficult.
00:41I was afraid that it would collapse.
00:44We didn't walk. We held on to the handrails.
00:48At this point, our bridge is still intact.
00:52That's why it's okay to walk here.
00:55This is the part that is already broken.
00:59It's already moving.
01:01One wrong step and it may fall into the deep and the river will overflow.
01:10In both bridges, some residents are using ropes to climb.
01:16We don't have to walk here.
01:21Can they cross safely?
01:23How did this bridge end up in this situation?
01:32We want to have a bridge so that all the students and residents can cross.
01:41On the other side of the river, another bridge was discovered by a reporter's notebook.
01:48It's broken and there's no longer a hanging bridge.
01:51Only cables and foundations are left on the bridge.
01:56But despite the danger, residents are still trying to cross it
02:01whenever the river is strong.
02:06In the town of Alfonso Castaneda in Nueva Vizcaya,
02:09a video was captured of students crossing a hanging bridge.
02:14Later on, the bridge suddenly collapsed.
02:22Because of the incident, more than 30 students were injured.
02:33In the town of Teresa in Rizal,
02:35another hanging bridge was discovered after a heavy downpour.
02:41This is what happened when a heavy downpour caused the bridge to collapse.
02:56What is the government doing to solve this problem?
03:11In the middle of a bad time in the barangay Sibol Springs,
03:15the children are poor, so we have to remove the hanging bridge.
03:19There's nothing we can do.
03:26Christian Joy, or CJ, is trying to cross the broken hanging bridge.
03:32He's going to attend school.
03:34CJ is trying to cross the broken hanging bridge.
03:37He's going to attend school.
03:40Sometimes, when the river is deep, we cross it.
03:44I just want to tell them to cross it quickly so that we can cross it.
03:56A resident was taken to the place where they are using the food bridge.
04:00As you can see, the residents are having a hard time.
04:04They are trying to go down from the end of the food bridge.
04:10One wrong step and you can fall.
04:14Aside from that, the food bridge itself is really dangerous
04:17because the trees they are stepping on are already broken.
04:23The broken hanging bridge is the only way to cross the school entrance.
04:28It's the only way to go to school if the water level is high in the Madlum River.
04:32It's already closed. We can't go to the side.
04:35We have to hold on to something.
04:37We hold on to something and then we walk.
04:40But CJ is worried about his mother, Chrysantha.
04:47Of course, we are also worried.
04:49Maybe the electricity is broken.
04:51Sometimes, the electricity is really strong.
04:59This is where we walk because we don't have a choice.
05:11Here in Gawin, our bridge is still whole.
05:16That's why it's okay to walk here.
05:19This is the part that is already broken.
05:23It's already moving.
05:28Let's go down there.
05:39I just want to build our school bridge
05:44so that the students won't have a hard time.
05:48It's also dangerous because they might fall.
05:59We don't need to go through here.
06:02The scene that was captured in the video last week is also breathtaking.
06:07Residents can be seen at the other end of the hanging bridge.
06:12Get your bag to the employee.
06:15It will be difficult for them to climb the fallen parts of the bridge.
06:20They will use cables to climb and cross the river.
06:26On our visit to Sibol Springs, San Miguel, Bulacan,
06:31the weather was fine.
06:33That's why residents are using rafts to cross the Madlum River.
06:39The rafts are made of wheels, wooden planks, and old drums.
06:48Later.
06:50One by one, residents and motorcyclists crossed the river
06:55to reach Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.
07:01Residents pushed the rafts to the other side of the river.
07:07Residents helped to pull the rafts
07:11so that residents can cross the river.
07:15Alvin is 12 years old.
07:17He is one of the rafters.
07:25This is how he earned money to help his family.
07:31Sometimes, I sell rice,
07:36vegetables, sugar, and coffee.
07:40I sell rice, vegetables, sugar, and coffee.
07:42He had several accidents while rafting.
07:48Do you always get hurt?
07:49Yes.
07:50Where?
07:51Here.
07:52Where did it come from?
07:53I slipped while rafting.
07:57Does your wound hurt?
07:58A little.
08:00Alvin stopped in Grade 1 due to poverty.
08:04It's hard for me.
08:05I can't afford to buy rice.
08:09I feel sorry for my parents because they are far away.
08:15But whenever he sees students crossing the river,
08:20I feel jealous.
08:21What do you want to be when you grow up?
08:23A soldier.
08:24I want to train in the jungle.
08:27When no one is riding the raft that Alvin is pushing and pulling,
08:32he forgets that he has to work to swim in the river.
08:43At 5 p.m., it's time for Jane to go home.
08:50Alvin rides the raft to cross the river.
08:55I told them that if they don't return home,
08:59they will have to pay for the raft.
09:02Even if they don't have money,
09:05they have to pay for the raft.
09:08It's dangerous.
09:10They might drown.
09:12Especially if it rains.
09:14The raft doesn't work at night.
09:17It doesn't work at night.
09:20It doesn't work at night.
09:23Maybe that's why they force you to swim in the river.
09:28We also caught a truck that was pushing the raft
09:31while the students were on their way home.
09:34This is the truck.
09:36It's deep.
09:37There are two of them.
09:38One of them has a permit.
09:40The other one doesn't.
09:42It's long.
09:43The truck goes straight to the foot of the mountain.
09:46They go straight to the foot of the mountain.
09:49It's deep.
09:50It's deep.
09:51One of them is on standby over there.
09:54The other one is here.
09:56The students have to ride the raft.
10:02This is the daily struggle of the residents
10:05to cross the river.
10:10We don't need to cross the river.
10:14Stop!
10:17Why did this happen to this raft
10:20in Barangay Cebu Springs?
10:28The story of the CTU leader, Mr. Alberto,
10:30who made the raft in 2013.
10:35He was able to cross the river by motorcycle.
10:38The raft was heavy.
10:42A typhoon hit the village.
10:45It started to deteriorate
10:48after five or six years.
10:54Since then, the raft has not been made in their area.
10:58There are requests,
10:59but the government hasn't made any yet
11:02regarding the request for a concrete raft.
11:06We want to have a concrete raft
11:08so that all the students,
11:11the residents here,
11:12can use it.
11:16In another part of the Madlum River,
11:18reporters discovered
11:20the remains of an old raft.
11:25In 2013,
11:26GMA Public Affairs released
11:29the story of students crossing the river
11:32using ropes.
11:36They crossed the Monkey Bridge alive.
11:40Five children were crossing the bridge.
11:42Those who can reach the cable
11:44were not allowed to cross the bridge.
11:47Those who cannot reach the cable
11:49were not allowed to cross the bridge.
11:51Those who can cross the bridge
11:53were allowed to cross the bridge.
11:57Because of this dangerous situation,
11:59the local government of San Miguel
12:01built the Monkey Bridge.
12:03But a few years later,
12:09the trees were damaged.
12:11That big flood
12:13destroyed that raft.
12:18The cables and ropes were left in the Monkey Bridge
12:22because the raft was not made again.
12:25Some residents were forced
12:27to use the Monkey Bridge again.
12:31We met another resident
12:33who crossed the bridge
12:35using ropes
12:37on the other side of the river.
12:41While others were hoping
12:43to cross the bridge using a raft.
12:45But for Mangkal Rito,
12:47there is no hope to do that.
12:49Well,
12:50according to the government's promise
12:53during the election,
12:55they said that the raft was their first priority.
12:57Sometimes,
12:59they made fun of us.
13:01They promised us that they still wanted to cross the bridge.
13:06The 3rd District Engineering Office
13:08of DPWH Bulacan explained that
13:11they have already raised
13:135 million pesos in the fund
13:15and the new design of the raft has already been started.
13:18But their office is still asking
13:20for additional funds
13:22to start the construction
13:24of a new and safer raft.
13:28The target length is 37 meters.
13:31The design of the Bailey Bridge is ongoing.
13:35We are still figuring out
13:37what will be the total cost of our project.
13:40The target for completion is
13:43to make our documents,
13:46our Program of Work and Plans.
13:49It will start early.
13:54For the broken Hanging Bridge
13:56in CJ and Alvin's area,
13:58we will include it in our
14:00High Priority Project
14:02that is possible to be funded
14:04in the next funding year.
14:07We will just leave it there
14:09on the road, on the river,
14:11the Hanging Bridge.
14:13Because our road
14:16is flooded.
14:19August 28, 2024,
14:21the cellphone video was captured
14:23in the bad weather
14:25in Barangay Prinsa in Teresa Rizal.
14:29The water level in the river
14:31was high because of the flood.
14:33It is also noticeable
14:35that a Hanging Bridge is floating
14:37above the river.
14:39Wow, the bridge is beautiful.
14:41Wow, the water is high.
14:46But after 5 days,
14:48the Hanging Bridge gave up
14:50while the storm was still going on.
14:53The cellphone video also captured
14:55the part of the bridge that was submerged
14:57in the water.
15:03After more than a month
15:05when the bridge was damaged,
15:07the Reporter's Notebook went to the Hanging Bridge.
15:10The foundation was damaged
15:12and the bridge also broke.
15:14This was the bridge
15:16that fell
15:18because of the storm.
15:20Because of the high water level,
15:22this is what happened.
15:24The Hanging Bridge collapsed
15:26in the center support.
15:28The garbage was pushed
15:30by trees and branches.
15:32Even our new riprap
15:34was affected by the high water level.
15:36We experienced that water level
15:38rise like that.
15:41But despite the current condition
15:43of the Hanging Bridge,
15:45some residents are still forced
15:47to come back here.
15:49There's nothing else we can do.
15:51It's too far.
15:53We have to go far.
15:57In fact,
15:59there's a spillway next to the damaged Hanging Bridge
16:01that can also be used.
16:03That's why when it rains,
16:05it's impossible.
16:07Like last week, the water level was high
16:09and the spillway was submerged.
16:11That's why people still use it.
16:13So for the residents,
16:15it's still easy for them to cross the bridge.
16:19This is also their shortcut
16:21to go back home.
16:25Mr. Alderico is one of the residents
16:27who are helping
16:29the damaged Hanging Bridge.
16:31It's a big spillway.
16:33When it rains,
16:35it's hard to cross.
16:37When it rains,
16:39it's hard to cross.
16:41It will take
16:4315 minutes for the alternative
16:45road to reach the town
16:47so that they can bring their belongings.
16:51According to the barangay captain,
16:53the local government
16:55of Teresa Rizal
16:57has already visited the damaged bridge.
16:59When we talked to the engineers
17:01who came here,
17:03we talked about the new design
17:05to make it stronger.
17:07If we're going to raise the water level,
17:09it's better to raise it by 2 meters.
17:11It's a good idea
17:13for us to do this.
17:15It's hard to cross.
17:17It's like a match.
17:19We asked the LGU
17:21of Teresa Rizal
17:23to ask what their plan is
17:25for the damaged Hanging Bridge.
17:27But until now,
17:29they haven't answered us.
17:33Alfonso Castaneda
17:35from Nueva Vizcaya is in town.
17:37Another Hanging Bridge
17:39was suddenly damaged
17:41while the students were crossing.
17:47One of the students,
17:49John Rel Atan,
17:51was 14 years old
17:53when he was crossing
17:55the Hanging Bridge.
17:59But John Rel
18:01was one of the most damaged
18:03due to the accident.
18:05He also needed
18:07an operation to remove
18:09the spleen from his stomach.
18:11My stomach hurts.
18:13That's what will happen to my son.
18:15I can't accept
18:17what happened to him.
18:25Just last week,
18:27John Rel was discharged from the hospital.
18:29He's getting better.
18:31But John Rel's fear
18:33of the accident is growing.
18:35I'm afraid of what happened.
18:37That's why I'm holding his hand
18:39while he's sleeping.
18:45According to the investigation,
18:47the spleen was overloaded.
18:49That's why it was given.
18:51Almost four students
18:53and teachers
18:55crossed the Hanging Bridge at the same time.
18:57Meanwhile,
18:59only five people were able to cross it.
19:01According to the official statement
19:03of the local government of Alfonso Castaneda,
19:05they immediately responded
19:07to the severity of the accident
19:09and gave medical attention
19:11to the injured students.
19:13They also assure
19:15that they will continue to monitor
19:17and provide assistance
19:19to the victims of the accident.
19:21For now,
19:23the construction of the Hanging Bridge
19:25is slowly starting
19:27after the incident.
19:29According to the reports
19:31of the Department of Public Works and Highways
19:33or DPWH,
19:35of the more than 4,000 bridges in the country,
19:37more than 2,000 are considered
19:39to be in good condition.
19:41Almost 2,000 of these bridges
19:43are considered to be in fair condition
19:45or have no major defects
19:47while more than 200 bridges
19:49are considered to be in poor condition
19:51or have major dangers
19:53to the area and its users.
19:55For an expert,
19:57the condition
19:59or structural integrity
20:01of the bridges should be monitored
20:03to avoid accidents
20:05like what happened in Nueva Vizcaya.
20:07Our buildings also have annual inspections.
20:09The same goes for the bridges.
20:11If there is a report
20:13that in an inspection
20:15there is a part that is damaged,
20:17those should be attended to.
20:19Otherwise, it will only get worse.
20:21It should also be noted
20:23that the feasibility study
20:25should be carried out
20:27to ensure that the bridge is strong
20:29and does not just break
20:31when a strong storm passes.
20:33It can't just break
20:35after one year
20:37or replace it after 10 years.
20:39If the roads are poor,
20:41the bridges are poor,
20:43or they are damaged
20:45and not repaired immediately,
20:47we can say that
20:49the local government
20:51is lacking.
20:53That is one of the indicators
20:55that the local government
20:57is doing a good job.
21:03The DPWAs
21:05always help
21:07the needs
21:09of our residents,
21:11especially those who used to live
21:13near the K-Ball.
21:15Hopefully, it will be fixed
21:17for the benefit
21:19of our residents
21:21in the future.
21:23The role of the hanging bridge
21:25is very important
21:27for those who live
21:29in remote areas.
21:31Often,
21:33this is the only way
21:35for them to reach
21:37the economy,
21:39to study,
21:41to work,
21:43and to get other services.
21:45Therefore, in the event of damage,
21:47danger,
21:49may God bless their lives,
21:51their livelihood,
21:53and may they be saved.
21:55Until next Saturday,
21:57I am Maki Pulido.
21:59I am Jun Veneracion,
22:01and this is the Reporter's Notebook.
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