Talisay City Students Endure Hazardous Journey Home After Bridge Collapse
Students residing in Talisay City, located in southern Cebu, encountered a treacherous and life-threatening journey home on Monday, February 9, 2026. This alarming situation unfolded as heavy rainfall rendered their customary river crossing completely impassable, primarily due to the absence of a functional bridge in the area.
Viral Footage Highlights Community Effort Amid Crisis
A video that rapidly gained traction across social media platforms captured the distressing scene in Barangay Camp 4. The footage vividly depicted adults actively assisting uniformed students as they navigated a makeshift, unstable path carved along a steep mountainside. Resident Rose Abarias documented this event around 5 p.m., showcasing community members using shovels to stabilize the soil while children carefully traversed the precarious slope.
Abarias provided context, explaining that local residents collaborated to establish this temporary pathway, ensuring students could return home safely despite the dangerous conditions. She emphasized the collective spirit, stating in the video that they helped one another and created a route specifically for the students to pass through.
Root Cause: Typhoon Damage and Weather Complications
The underlying issue traces back to November 4, 2025, when Typhoon Tino, internationally known as Kalmaegi, completely destroyed the area's hanging bridge. Under normal, calm weather conditions, students typically cross the shallow river without major issues. However, a shear line brought intense and persistent rains this week, causing water levels to rise significantly and making the river crossing hazardous and impractical.
This meteorological event forced residents to devise an alternative solution, leading to the creation of the risky mountainside path as a temporary measure to maintain access for students and other community members.
Government Response and Immediate Safety Actions
Barangay Camp 4 officials acknowledged the bridge damage and requested patience from residents regarding the repair timeline, citing the need to follow established government procedures before reconstruction can commence. Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. promptly addressed the situation after receiving numerous messages about the viral video.
Mayor Gullas took decisive action by ordering the immediate closure of the dangerous pathway to prioritize student and resident safety. A village watchman, or tanod, has been stationed to guard the area and prevent any usage of the route. Furthermore, the mayor instructed the school principal to suspend in-person classes or transition to modular learning during periods of adverse weather to avoid similar risks in the future.
Commitment to Reconstruction and Future Plans
The Talisay City Government has committed to expediting the bridge reconstruction process once the necessary bidding procedures are finalized. Construction activities are strategically scheduled to begin during the summer months, when river conditions are typically safer and more stable for workers to operate effectively.
This incident underscores the critical importance of infrastructure resilience and swift governmental response in ensuring the safety and well-being of students and communities, particularly in areas vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events.
