For Oam it may concern Rosita's

To columnist Clarence Paul Oaminal,

Rosita's Bazaar is named after the matriarch of the Uy clan, also responsible for Mandaue Foam Industries,Rosita Uy.

Mrs. Rosita Arcenas was also a formidable businesswoman in her own right, but was not the founder of Rosita's Bazaar.

(Sender’s name withheld by request)

Why a bridge collapse?

Ordinarily a bridge is designed to withstand the pressure against when load, earthquake aftershock up to certain magnitude, dead load the weight of the bridge and the designed live load that the bridge could carry when certain moving heavy trucks are passing over to withstand hydrostatic uplift caused by heavy flooding below the bridge. When this occur the bridge usually topples down.

But unfortunately, this factor or condition is not considered by designing bridge engineers and the construction bridge engineer. I have constructed several bridges all over the Visayas and Mindanao none of which suffered certain hydrostatic uplift.

I had the privilege of being trained by the most brilliant and skillful civil engineer who was one of the biggest contractors in our country, Engr. MaximoDimson (deceased) on its early development. He had trained me almost all kinds of engineering construction one of which is to see to it that the bridge could not be subjected to hydrostatic uplift that is to reach the bottom of the bridge.

At least one meter is the highest level during the highest flood that occurred in the river. I wish my fellow engineers especially the bridge construction engineers shall consider this very important factor in constructing a bridge to prevent further disasters in the future.