Manila: The collapse of bridges and damage to flood-control structures during a month of successive typhoons and monsoon rains should be investigated to determine whether public infrastructure can withstand increasingly severe weather disturbances, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III said Tuesday. Sotto filed Proposed Senate Resolution 631 seeking a Senate inquiry into the root causes and devastating effects of the calamities that battered the country throughout August, including an estimated PHP5.1 billion in damage to public and private infrastructure.
According to Philippines News Agency, the resolution specifically raised questions over flood-control projects designed to protect communities but were themselves damaged during the onslaught of heavy rains. In Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, several unfinished flood-control projects were damaged, reportedly sending sand into nearby rice fields and causing further damage to local communities. In Benguet, a portion of the Beckel-Lamut Junction of the Benguet - Nueva Vizcaya Road in La Trinidad collapsed amid heavy rains, isolating some communities and affecting roads used by farmers to transport produce to the La Trinidad Trading Post.
Sotto also cited the collapse of the Aquino and Agana bridges in Tarlac City on Aug. 29. A sports utility vehicle carrying five people fell when the Agana Bridge collapsed. The resolution seeks to determine whether public infrastructure remains 'resilient, durable, and sustainable' amid worsening typhoons and monsoon rains brought about by environmental degradation and climate change.
The resolution stated, 'While resilience is a noble trait of Filipinos, the government was entrusted by the people to deliver quality public service and infrastructure, and accountability must remain steadfast.' Sotto also wants the proposed inquiry to examine whether the effects of large-scale developments on flooding in nearby communities and natural resources are thoroughly considered before they are given clearance.
Beyond damaged infrastructure, the resolution cited 5,486 leptospirosis cases and 344 fatalities reported by the Department of Health, with cases surging amid widespread flooding in August.
