A Dutch water bus featured in a viral TikTok video has been mistaken by some netizens as operating in the Philippines.
Viewers reached the wrong conclusion after watching the video posted on May 23 by an anonymous TikTok account with the watermark “ilonggo tiktok” and caption:
“#water Pov: sumakay ka ng bus pero sa dagat. bus sigma Haha.” (#water Pov: you rode a bus in the sea. bus sigma. Haha.)
“Water bus in Philippines,” read several comments.
A Google search showed that the original video clip of the water bus was posted on May 20 by Filipino seaman and TikTok personality Norberto Lazarte Jr. He told FactRakers that the clip was taken in Rotterdam, the Netherlands that day.
The anonymous TikTok account, however, combined Lazarte’s video with other videos of the Dutch water bus and one of a local bus.
In the original video, Lazarte can be heard in the background saying:
Kapag ganito sa Pilipinas ‘yung bus — sa tubig dumadaan — ewan ko lang kung huhuliin pa ‘to ng enforcer kasi sigurado mabasa ‘yung paniket niya (If buses were like this in the Philippines — if they could pass through water — I wonder if the street enforcer would still pull them over because their tickets would surely get wet).
However, the audio was replaced with music in the edited video.
Google Maps’ street view of Rotterdam landmarks corroborated Lazarte’s claim. Both the Erasmus Bridge and the Wereldmusem can be seen in the background of the edited clip.
A reverse image search of another video clip featuring the bus confirmed it was taken from a cruise terminal in Rotterdam. The vehicle owned by Splashtours Rotterdam is known for tours using “amphibious” vehicles.
A Google search of the text caption for another clip led to the original video uploaded by TikTok user carmenred29 who confirmed to FactRakers that the video was filmed in Bohol.
The local floating bus is owned by Ceres Liner, which operates in Bacolod, Panay, Cebu, Bohol Samar, and Leyte.
As of writing, the post of the anonymous TikTok account has garnered over 808,000 views, 108,700 likes, 1,680 comments and 1,991 shares. (CN)
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