THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is investigating the collapse of a riverbank protection structure in Pampanga barely two years after it was built, as it accelerates work on two long-delayed bridges in the province and Albay.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said over the week that they will summon the contractor’s representatives for a joint investigation with provincial and local government officials following the collapse in Barangay San Mateo, Arayat, which could threaten nearby homes along the Pampanga River.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the contractor held accountable if investigators find that the sheet piles used in the project failed to meet the dimensions specified in the approved plans. Dizon said the sheet piles should measure 36 meters, but the cause of the collapse and any construction violations have yet to be established.
Procurement records show that the approved budget for the rehabilitation of the eroded riverbank structure reached P96.5 million for Phase 2, with another P96.5 million listed for Phase 3. The DPWH has yet to clarify which phase covers the collapsed section or disclose the final contract amount for the affected work.
Meanwhile, the DPWH is targeting the opening of the San Agustin Bridge in Arayat before Christmas 2026, after the project remained unfinished for nearly nine years.
The bridge project received a reported total allocation of P237 million for Phases 1 to 3. As of Oct. 9, Phase 2 was reportedly 60-percent complete, with completion targeted for the following month.
Dizon has ordered construction accelerated in line with Marcos’ directive to finish stalled infrastructure projects and ensure that taxpayer-funded facilities are put to public use. Once operational, the bridge is expected to ease traffic for motorists traveling through Arayat and neighboring provinces.
In Daraga, Albay, construction of the Kilicao-Binitayan Bridge is nearing completion after remaining stalled for 15 years.
A local news report placed the project’s estimated cost at around P250 million. However, the final contract amount and the latest official construction figures have yet to be independently confirmed.
Dizon inspected the project in May 2026 and ordered its completion to spare residents the hardship of continuing to cross the area’s old steel bridge. Marcos earlier directed the DPWH to open the bridge before All Souls' Day to make travel easier for residents and motorists heading to other destinations and cemeteries.
The three projects underscore the DPWH’s parallel priorities: investigating a potentially hazardous infrastructure failure and completing long-delayed public works intended to improve transportation and protect communities.
The DPWH has yet to disclose the final findings of the riverbank investigation or confirm a definitive opening date for the Kilicao-Binitayan Bridge.
