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Mount Kamuning: Convenience afterthought

MOUNT Kamuning in Quezon City.
MOUNT Kamuning in Quezon City.Jerod Orcullo
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What goes too high up, must come down.

After six years of serving as more of a tourist attraction rather than a reliable footbridge, “Mount Kamuning” in Quezon City is nearing its final days with the establishment of the new EDSA Carousel Kamuning Station last Thursday, 5 March.

The new bus station features everything that the people treading the old nine-meter tall overpass wishes it had when it was first opened to the public in 2018.

EDSA Carousel Kamuning station in Quezon City.
EDSA Carousel Kamuning station in Quezon City.Jerod Orcullo

Compared to the 76 steps needed to just reach the summit of Mt. Kamuning, the station has elevators on either end and even offers a way for people on wheelchairs to get to and from the middle terminal.

ONE of two elevators at the Kamuning station in Quezon City.
ONE of two elevators at the Kamuning station in Quezon City.Jerod Orcullo
WHEELCHAIR lifts for persons with disabilities to get to cross the footbridge.
WHEELCHAIR lifts for persons with disabilities to get to cross the footbridge.Jerod Orcullo

For first time passengers of the EDSA Carousel, the station also presented fare matrix signages that indicate how much a ride will cost someone based on where they ride and get off of the bus.

EDSA Carousel bus fare matrix at the Kamuning station in Quezon City.
EDSA Carousel bus fare matrix at the Kamuning station in Quezon City.Jerod Orcullo

Perhaps the most important feature of the new station was that its overpass provides overhead coverage from the scorching sun.

In exclusive interviews with the DAILY TRIBUNE this Friday, commuters Inday, Richmond, and Joan asserted that they preferred using the Kamuning station over Mt. Kamuning as it provided a less stressful and less tiring experience.

“Ay grabe hingal doon, panget doon, dito ang ganda, kasi ang taas doon eh kaya hilong-hilo ka na, dito maganda at tsaka safe,” said Inday, whose been selling products along Kamuning and riding the Carousel on a daily basis.

As for Richmond, who had attempted to cross the notorious footbridge prior to the interview, he said that the newly established terminal offered a far better experience as compared to Mt. Kamuning.

“Kaka-testing ko lang kanina, kaya pawis na pawis ako eh, ang hirap,” he answered when asked about his experience of crossing the overpass.

Joan, on the other hand, backed an observation from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. yesterday that the bridge did in fact sway whenever vehicles passed underneath its metal body.

“Mararamdam mo talaga mas lalo na pag may dumadaan na tren, yayanig talaga, nakakatakot, hindi ko na uulitin,” she said, crossing the bridge with her daughter for the first time.

Based on the Department of Transportation, the brand new station was said to have cost over P87 million. P54.7 million was allocated to the footbridge while the rest of the funding was designated to make the new busway station.

The plan for the new bus station was also reported to have been approved in August 2025, with the first 60 days of the project being used to design the station before officially beginning its construction in October 2025.

Despite all its flaws, all the humorous and negative comments that it has gained from social media, nearby vendors told the DAILY TRIBUNE that many people still continued to utilize the footbridge as it saved them from the hassle of having to go around and cross the road through the MRT-3 station.

VIEW from the peak of Mount Kamuning in Quezon City.
VIEW from the peak of Mount Kamuning in Quezon City.Jerod Orcullo

There has been no official word from President Marcos, the Department of Public Works and Highways, nor the DOTr on when the infamous pathway will be closed down and deconstructed.

At least for now, Mount Kamuning for the most part continues to deliver on its purpose of serving the public–whether that be as an actual footbridge or a landmark is up to whoever comes across it.

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