Firetruck stuck under Cebu City skywalk; Garcia seeks DPWH probe

#SiloyisWatching: A concerned citizen sent CDN Digital a photo of a firetruck that got stuck under a skywalk in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, on Thursday afternoon, April 10. | Bré Abrea

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A firetruck was stuck under a low-clearance skywalk along A.S. Fortuna Street in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, on Thursday afternoon, prompting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia to call for an immediate review of all skywalks in the city.

Garcia told CDN Digital in an interview on April 11 that the Cebu City government will summon the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which has jurisdiction over the city’s skywalks, to discuss safety concerns and conduct a full inventory of the structures.

“[As of April 11], wala pay gi-report si Harold [CCDRRMO]. We really have to reassess the skywalks, but we must remember that ang skywalks, ang naay jurisdiction ana kay ang DPWH man gud. Kay sila man ang nagtrabaho ana using DPWH funds from the national, either coming from a congressman,” Garcia said.

(As of April 11, Harold of CCDRRMO has not reported anything yet. We really have to reassess the skywalks, but we must remember that the jurisdiction over the skywalks belongs to DPWH. They were the ones who worked on it using DPWH funds from the national government, either coming from a congressman.)

“Mao na nga I think ang assessment has to be made. Atong ipatawag ang DPWH regarding that matter para mahibal-an nato kung unsa ba gyud ang clearances ana — angay ba na tangtangon nalang or usabon. Para nako, mag-meeting sa lang gyud mi regarding this matter so they could give us the inventory of all the skywalks nga ilang gipangtukod, and we will assess what we can do in the future so that no incident could happen again,” he added.

(That’s why I think an assessment has to be made. We will call DPWH regarding that matter so we can find out what the clearances are — whether it should be removed or renovated. For me, we will just have a meeting regarding this matter so they could give us the inventory of all the skywalks they’ve built, and we will assess what we can do in the future so that no incident will happen again.)

READ: Modern skywalk in Maguikay ensures safer pedestrian crossing

Garcia reiterated that while the Cebu City government can raise concerns and initiate discussions, ultimate responsibility over the structures remains with the DPWH.

“Klaro na ha nga ang jurisdiction gyud aning mga skywalks would fall sa DPWH,” he said.

(It’s clear, right, that the jurisdiction of these skywalks falls under DPWH.)

The DPWH sets vertical clearance standards for infrastructure such as footbridges and skywalks. Under existing guidelines, these structures must maintain a minimum clearance of 4.88 meters above road level, with an added allowance of 0.15 meters for road resurfacing.

Pedestrian footbridges are required to have an additional 0.30 meter clearance to reduce collision risks with tall vehicles.

READ: Ouano-Dizon refutes fake statement on P20-M skywalk

CDN Digital reached out to DPWH-7 following the incident. On Saturday, April 12, the regional office replied:

“Thank you for taking the time to communicate with us. [We are] working on scheduling interviews and will be in touch as soon as I have a date and time confirmed. Thank you and have a nice day.”

The incident, shared by a concerned citizen through CDN Digital’s #SiloyIsWatching platform, drew public attention and online backlash.

READ: Train, skyway will solve Cebu City’s traffic woes — Duterte

Many commenters criticized both the design of the skywalk and the lack of coordination in infrastructure planning.

“Skywalks are a nuisance and a symbol of our country’s sad state of uneducated drivers, corrupt politicians, and undisciplined pedestrians,” wrote commenter Aurio Mirambel.

“Na sipyat ra jud ang driver sa firetruck, wala niya na-estimate ang skywalk, pero maklaro nga mubo ra ang pag-construct sa skywalk — dili parihas dri sa Mambaling skywalk nga habog,” added another commenter under the username AU Xus.

(The firetruck driver just made a mistake, he didn’t estimate the skywalk properly, but it’s clear that the construction of the skywalk was short — it’s not like the Mambaling skywalk which is higher.)

“Nasangit nasad… Dapat naman guro na kuhaon ang skywalk dha kay perti naman ubosa sa clearance para asa mga dagkong truck sama sa bombero,” user Gahapon Karon Ugma chimed in.

(It got stuck again… Maybe the skywalk there should be removed because the clearance is too low for big trucks like fire trucks.)

No injuries were reported in the incident, but it has reignited scrutiny over the design and placement of pedestrian infrastructure in Cebu City, particularly in high-traffic zones and emergency routes.

Garcia assured the public that safety remains a top priority for the city government and that it is committed to working closely with the DPWH to ensure that a similar incident does not happen again. /clorenciana