The third week of September 1972 was a tragic and tumultuous period for the people of Naga City, Camarines Sur.
The Collapse of Colgante Bridge
On September 16, 1972, Saturday, during the fluvial procession for Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Colgante Bridge collapsed under the weight of spectators.
By tradition, the fluvial procession capped the end of the nine-day devotional to the Virgin Mary, marking the return of her image and the Divino Rostro (the image of the Holy Face of Jesus) from the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral to her home shrine on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.
These images were both carried through the streets and then on a pagoda (the Bicol term for the decorated shrine-barge used in fluvial processions) on its return journey via the Naga River. Colorful long paddle boats manned by hundreds of devotees pulled the pagoda. On board were privileged religious leaders and civic officials invited to accompany the icons.
As in past Peñafrancia fiestas, thousands of onlookers watched the fluvial parade from the riverbanks and on bancas along aside the long paddle boats. The most popular perch to observe the procession was on the Colgante Bridge spanning the Naga River. A Bailey bridge by design, it was constructed with steel trusses and old timber – typical of many bridges in use in Bicol (and the Philippines) during that time.
The collapse was caused by the aging bridge’s inability to support the large crowd gathered to witness the procession. This tragic incident claimed the lives of 138 devotees and onlookers and injured over a hundred others. Most of the deaths were caused by drowning or electrocution when live wires hit the river.
Marking the anniversary of the Colgante bridge tragedy, the Archdiocese of Caceres posted on its FB page (September 2022):
“In the book “Ina: Little Stories of Faith” (published by the Peñafrancia Tercentennial, Inc., 2010), the tragedy is recounted with narratives of some survivors. Most of them say that innumerable devotees and onlookers gathered on the then-wooden bridge to get a better view of the procession below. With authorities unable to control the large crowd, the bridge eventually collapsed. Many people were hit by debris. Some others were hit by fellow devotees and onlookers. The victims were immediately rushed to nearby Colegio de Sta. Isabel, and others to area hospitals for treatment. Bodies of the deceased were laid on the riverbanks waiting to be identified or brought to the mortuary.
“In the same book, the account of the late Santiago Ojeda, who died in the tragedy, gave further light on what occurred immediately prior to the collapse of the bridge. Ojeda had brought with him a video camera and voice recorder to the bridge. After the tragedy, his voice recorder was recovered, with his words recorded on the tape: “this bridge is full of people, and I don’t see anyone directing traffic here. Some years ago, the same bridge collapsed due to the heavy weight of devotees and onlookers watching the fluvial procession. Now it’s beginning to sway a little. I’m afraid it won’t hold out much longer unless someone tells those people to stop adding their weight to it. The bridge is now swaying…”
Reporting on the Colgante incident, Naga Times columnist Soledad “Choleng” Hidalgo, stressed in her column, My Two Cents’ Worth: “The bridge collapsed due to the blatant disregard of the imminent danger that lurked on it.” She added, “Similarly, the devotees who flocked to the bridge and those who perished in the accident should have foreseen the danger of the moment.”
Hidalgo also cited a radio reporter named Vic Flores was warning people of the danger before he himself fell into the water with the other victims.
As if things would not get better that day, the Naga Times also reported that on the same day, 53 inmates bolted the provincial jail. A week later, seven of them were reportedly killed, six were captured, and 15 surrendered.
The declaration of Martial Law
As Naga City was grappling with the aftermath of this disaster, national news was dominated by reports of political change. Just past midnight early Saturday morning on September 23, 1972, Sen. Benigno Aquino was arrested. By 1 a.m., Sen. Diokno and Ramon Mitra were also arrested. At about the same time, other critics of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. were being rounded up and media establishments shut down. By dawn, 100 individuals were in detention centers.
Martial law took effect in the first hour of September 23, 1972, but was declared by President Marcos himself on Channel 9 of Kanlaon Broadcasting System only at about 7 p.m. of that day. The declaration caught Naga City by surprise as it was still mourning the victims of the Colgante Bridge collapse and caring for the injured.
The imposition of Martial Law resulted in the closure of local radio stations and media outlets, including the Naga Times on September 24, 1972. The military placed eight media personalities under “protective custody” in Camp Canuto, Sagorong, Pili beginning on September 26, 1972. Their detention came a day late because of the Colgante tragedy. These included Atty. Luis General, Jr., Naga Times editor-in-chief, and Atty. J. Antonio Carpio, columnist and radio commentator, both recently added to the roster of Bantayog ng mga Bayani, as well as Atty. Henry Briguera, then with radio station DZDR and a working law student, Alfred Tria, Ramon Brillantes, Leon S. Palmiano Jr., Ely Compuesto, and Nonong Triviño. They were held for over a month. The Archbishop of Caceres, Teofisto Alberto, interceded and requested the authorities to release some detainees.
This period marked a significant and somber chapter in the history of Naga City, as the community faced both a devastating local tragedy and the broader implications of Martial Law on the lives of many.
Postscript: Padamlagan – The Movie
Sept. 16, 2025 update — These devastating historical events of September 1972 have now been hauntingly portrayed in a movie titled Padamlágan (Night Light), a poetic period drama by Jenn Romano, film maker, and Victor Dennis T. Nierva, writer. The collapse of the Colgante Bridge during the Peñafrancia Fluvial Procession claimed the lives of 138 devotees and unfolded just days before the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines.
Set entirely in the Bicol region and spoken in the Bikol language, the film follows Doring (portrayed by Ely Buendia in his first lead acting role), a father desperately searching for his missing son, Ivan, amid the chaos and silence that followed the bridge’s collapse. As the regime tightens its grip, Doring’s personal grief becomes a mirror for collective trauma, memory, and resistance. The supporting cast includes: Esteban Mara, Sue Prado, Floyd Tena, Mildred Anne Estela, Frank Peñones, and Ivan Gioceff Papa.
Romano blends narrative fiction with experimental documentary, weaving archival footage, survivor testimonies, and lyrical imagery to explore themes of remembrance, repression, and regional resilience. The film is described by the director as “born from silence”—a cinematic search for voices lost to history. Padamlágan is among the 10 full-length films competing in this year’s 21st edition of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
Click to learn more about the movie Padamlagan
Written by Jojo De Jesus for Dateline Ibalon based on content and photography from: Naga Times (Aftermath of Black Saturday: The Dead, September 24, 1972), Bicol Mail (articles about Colgante dated 2020, 2022 and The Arrest by Atty. Henry Briguera, September 13, 2010 ), Inquirer.net (article by Juan Escandor, Jr., September 26, 2013), BW Online (article on Martial Law by Oscar Lagman, Jr., September 26, 2022), and the Archdiocese of Caceres (FB pages, September 2022 and 2024).