What goes up too high must come down

After six years as a tourist attraction instead of the reliable footbridge it was intended to be, “Mount Kamuning” in Quezon City is nearing its final days following the construction nearby of the new EDSA Carousel Kamuning Station.

The new bus station features everything that the people who trekked the old nine-meter-high overpass wished it had when it was first opened to the public in 2018.

Compared to the 76 steps to the summit of Mt. Kamuning, the new station has elevators at both ends and even offers a way for people in wheelchairs to get to and from the middle terminal.

For first-time passengers of the EDSA carousel, the station also displays fare matrix signs indicating how much a ride costs based on where they board and get off the bus.

Perhaps the most important feature of the new station is its overpass, which provides overhead protection from the scorching sun.

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

“There it’s very exhausting, here it’s quite nice, the old bridge is so high that I got dizzy while crossing it, here it’s just nice and safe,” said Inday, who has been selling various products along Kamuning and riding the carousel on a daily basis.

Better experience

For Richmond, who attempted to climb the notorious footbridge prior to this interview, the new terminal offers a far better experience than Mt. Kamuning.

“I just tested it earlier, (with the old bridge) I got so sweaty, it was difficult to cross,” he said.

Joan, on the other hand, backed the observation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who said the old bridge did, in fact, sway whenever vehicles passed beneath its metal body.

“You really felt it, especially when a train passed, it really shook, it’s scary, I won’t cross it again,” she said, taking the new bridge with her daughter for the first time.

According to the Department of Transportation, the brand new station cost over P87 million; with P54.7 million allocated to the footbridge, while the rest went to build the new busway station.

The plan for the new bus station was approved in August 2025, with the first 60 days of the project used to design the station before official construction began in October 2025.

Despite all its flaws and the humorous and negative comments it gained on social media, nearby vendors told the DAILY TRIBUNE that many people still use the old footbridge, as it saves them the hassle of going around and crossing the road at the MRT-3 station.

There has been no official word from President Marcos, the Department of Public Works and Highways, or the DoTr on when the infamous pathway will be closed down and deconstructed.

At least for now, Mt. Kamuning for the most part continues to deliver on its purpose of serving the public — whether as a footbridge or as an exercise trail.