Netizens are sharing a video supposedly showing a portion of the Skyway collapsing after a strong quake. No such collapse happened and the clips were generated through artificial intelligence (AI).
On Aug. 8, a Filipino Facebook user posted an 11-second video reacting to at least two clips showing the new “skyway bridge” crumbling. The video carried the text:
“Skyway bridge suddenly collapse (sic).”
A video recording of the user reacting to the clips was overlaid on the lower right corner. The person said:
“Nakakahadlok ito ng mga pangyayari mga idol. Grabe tingnan niyo mga idol. ‘Yung bagong gawa na tulay bila na lang natumba sa malakas na linog. Grabe na ito (These are scary events, idols. Look at this, idols. The newly constructed bridge suddenly collapsed due to a strong earthquake. This is terrible).”
Some netizens in the comment section interpreted it as showing the Metro Manila Skyway, while others speculated that the video is fake.
This is an AI-generated video.
One of the clips was originally uploaded on June 14 by TikTok user @the.worldai, which posts AI-generated content. The creator itself labeled the post as AI-generated.
The page’s bio contains a text that encourages users to check out the page’s “guide on how to create and earn from AI content.”
The link on its bio further leads to a paid AI content and monetization guide that teaches netizens “how to create viral AI videos from scratch” and make money off it.
Visual clues such as unnatural body parts, glitches in movements and remnants or extra pieces of data are also observed in both clips. These are tell-tale signs that the video is AI-generated.
There are no recent reports of a collapse or any incident affecting the Metro Manila Skyway.
In February 2020, a portion of Skyway Stage 3 collapsed due to a nearby warehouse fire in Pandacan, Manila, but it had since been replaced.
The AI-generated video circulated four days after Sen. Jinggoy Estrada delivered a privilege speech addressing the collapse of the newly opened Cabagan–Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela in February this year. Estrada pointed out defects in the design and construction and pushed for accountability of those involved in the project.
VERA Files has debunked other mis- and disinformation about bridges that supposedly collapsed due to natural disasters.
The video posted by the FB user currently has 3,200 reactions, 660 comments, 281 shares and 966,000 views as of writing.
