The P23-million Buenavista slab bridge in Southern Leyte is not a failed project

Claim: The P23-million Buenavista slab bridge in Southern Leyte is a failed project of former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

The Facebook video stitched together various news clips to support the claim that the Aquino administration only had failed projects to its name. The specific clip that featured the P23-million bridge was used as an example of Aquino’s failed projects.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video making the claim has 10,000 reactions, 120 comments, and 2,600 shares, as of writing. 

The bottom line: The Buenavista slab bridge solved the repeated deterioration of a particular section of the Bato-Bontoc road. It was not a failure. The criticism that it was useless for being a bridge built on solid ground had already been addressed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). 

The complete GMA report featured in the Facebook video left out why the bridge was built. In the report, reporter JP Soriano explained: “Pagtatanggol ng DPWH ng Southern Leyte, ito lang daw ang tanging paraan para masolusyonan ang paglubog ng kalsada. Inabot na raw ng tatlong beses ang pagsasaayos ng bahaging ito ng kalsada noong panahong nasa ilalim pa ang proyekto ng JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency]. Inakala rin itong isang sinkhole noong una pero matapos masuri, lumabas na malambot ang mga unang bahagi ng lupa. May creek o waterway din sa ibabang bahagi ng lupa kaya lumulubog. Kaya ang ginawa ng DPWH, gumawa ng disenyo na parang tulay para maibaon ang mga pilote sa ilalim ng lupa.”

(The DPWH in Southern Leyte said it was the only way to solve the sinking of the road. The road had been repaired three times when the project was still under JICA. It was thought of as a sinkhole at first but after analyzing, it was shown that the surface of the land was soft. There was also a creek or waterway in the lower part of the land that is why it sinks. That is why the DPWH designed something like a bridge so that posts may be buried underground.)

A fact check by Rappler in 2020 addressed a similar claim and contextualized the bridge’s construction. – Pola Regalario/Rappler.com

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