FACT CHECK: Photo of damaged Marcos Bridge taken in 2020, not caused by Carina

Claim: The Marcos Bridge in Marikina City collapsed because of Typhoon Carina (Gaemi).

Why we fact-checked this:  The Facebook post containing the claim was submitted to Rappler for fact checking.  

The post, dated July 24, shows a picture of a damaged bridge amid flood waters. The caption of the post reads, “So sad natuluyan [nang] bumagsak ang tulay sa may SM marikina. Grabe ang pinsala ni bagyong Carina. Ingat po ang lahat.” (So sad that the bridge near SM Marikina collapsed. Typhoon Carina’s damage is severe. Be careful everyone.) 

The facts: Contrary to the claim, the photo does not show that the bridge collapsed nor was it caused by Typhoon Carina. Reverse image search shows that the circulating photo is a screenshot taken from a video of the Marikina River posted by ABS-CBN on November 12, 2020, showing a barge that crashed into the Marcos Bridge during Typhoon Ulysses (Vamco).

According to the Philippine News Agency, the bridge suffered “superficial” damage based on findings. A portion of R-10 bridge in Navotas was also damaged due to Typhoon Ulysses.

Typhoon Carina: The misleading photo resurfaced at the height of the southwest monsoon or habagat, enhanced by Typhoon Carina. On July 24, several barges hit F. Manalo bridge in Pasig City due to the strong current of the Marikina River. There was no reported collapse of the bridge, but both of its lanes were temporarily closed as authorities assess the damage.

No bridge was reported to have collapsed either, despite the significant rise of Marikina River’s water level due to heavy rain. On Wednesday afternoon, the river’s water level reached up to 20.6 meters and had receded to 14.8 meters as of 5 pm on Thursday, July 25. (READ: Guide to Marikina River’s alarm level system).

Typhoon Carina exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on July 25. It was the Philippines’ third tropical cyclone for 2024 and the second for July. – Quincy Reyes/Rappler.com

Quincy Reyes is a research volunteer at Rappler. He is a recent graduate from Fordham University having double-majored in journalism and film and television. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more