TARLAC CITY, Tarlac — In less than 24 hours, a second bridge across the Tarlac River collapsed as swollen, rapid waters washed away a section of the 60-year-old Agana Bridge on Saturday night, August 29, 2026, plunging a vehicle into the river and severing a vital arterial route.
The disaster struck just 20 hours after local authorities closed and diverted traffic away from the nearby Ninoy Aquino Bridge following its own partial collapse. Traffic enforcers had redirected motorists to the Agana Bridge as the primary alternate route before the second failure.
Authorities said the Agana Bridge collapsed around 7:40 PM as a northbound gray Toyota Avanza crossed the structure and plunged into the river.
Five occupants were aboard the vehicle: owner Paul Harvey Collado, 30 [earlier reported as 80 years old], and James Patrick Taborlupa, 35, both residents of Barangay Maliwalo, Tarlac City; Nathaniel Dizon, 20, of Barangay Comillas, La Paz, Tarlac; Shiela Mae Taborlupa of Barangay San Rafael, Tarlac City; and Shonen Tuhaw, 26, of Cavite. Rescue personnel pulled Dizon from the water minutes after the crash, but the four remaining passengers remain missing.
Multi-agency search, rescue, and retrieval operations continue along the Tarlac River. Responders from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Provincial DRRMO, Fil-Chi, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Tactical Operations Group 3, 522nd Engineer Construction Battalion, 7th Civil-Military Operations Battalion, Philippine National Police, VAT, SCAN, and DELTA COMM have mobilized on site.
Severe weather and dangerous river conditions continue to prevent responders from safely deploying boats and floating devices, while low visibility and rains have restricted drone deployment.
In response to the dual collapse isolating northwestern barangays, the Tarlac City Government rolled out a free shuttle service to transport stranded residents.
The shuttle picks up passengers at the Tarlac City Plaza in front of City Hall. It routes through the municipality of Gerona via the Tagumbao Bridge — currently open to light vehicles only — before reaching UP Tarlac / TCLASS in Barangay San Isidro. Buses return to the city plaza along the same path. Local transport provider Philippine Rabbit Bus Company also deployed a coaster to augment the city’s shuttle operations.
Additionally, the city government opened the Tarlac City Plazuela Hall at the plaza as a temporary shelter for stranded commuters needing a place to stay overnight.
City Councilors Anne Belmonte, Emy Ladera, and Jerome Lapeña were the first city officials to arrive at the Carangian side of the Agana Bridge to assess the situation and assure stranded residents of municipal support. Former Tarlac City Mayor Aro Mendoza and former councilor Vlad Rodriguez were also present at the scene.
Emergency personnel, local officials, and police forces maintain an active presence along the riverbanks as search efforts continue.
