Manila, Aug. 29 -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Tarlac 1st District Engineering Office has conducted an inspection of the Aquino Bridge in Tarlac City, after a portion of the structure was damaged Friday evening.

In a statement on Saturday, the DPWH reported that the decades-old bridge sustained structural damage due to incessant rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat) and the strong current of the Tarlac River.

The inspection was conducted around 12:10 a.m. Saturday after a section of the bridge was damaged and subsequently closed to vehicular traffic at 11:56 p.m. Friday.

To ensure public safety, the agency immediately installed barricades and deployed personnel to conduct structural assessment.

Traffi...