Made of steal

There goes the meme of all memes. Filipinos, as usual, turn to humor when things turn bad or ugly, as a way of dealing with all that's happening in this surreal nation of 120 million, and in the hope that it might actually get the attention of incensed and corrupt politicians.

- IRIS GONZALES

"Mahina talaga ang tulay, kapag made of steal," says one meme that's been going around. A friend shared it with me, posted on the Facebook account named Kkmpnk.

It didn't specify which bridge, but the post, dated March 3, came on the heels of the collapse of a section of the 990-meter-long Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela on Feb. 27.

The bridge collapsed when the third span of the structure, measuring 60 meters, gave way, leaving six people injured.

Six people, including a child, were injured and taken to the hospital, according to the Isabela Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Official, according to The STAR's March 1 report.

Imagine crossing over a bridge and suddenly, it collapses.

What a joke and what a dangerous situation we're in. Even more dangerous is that it could happen anytime, anywhere to anyone of us, given the quality of infrastructure we're seeing in the country today.

The Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge was a decade in the making and at a staggering cost of P1.25 billion. Add to that some nearly P300 million for retrofitting before it was opened on Feb. 1. And yet, it collapsed in less than a month after it opened.

I wouldn't be surprised if authorities find corruption as the culprit for this substandard bridge. We already know that taxpayers' money is being moved around for infrastructure projects that translate to hefty kickbacks for our politicians.