MANILA, Philippines – Soon there will be no more Mt. Kamuning in Quezon City.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the removal of the EDSA-Kamuning Footbridge to “build a better one.”
Some people have called the structure “Mt. Kamuning” due to its comically high stairs, making the climb across feel much more like a hike than a part of an everyday commute.
“Ang tingin ko talaga sa saloobin ng Pangulo ay hindi naman talaga dapat ganito ang ginagawa natin para sa mga kababayan natin lalo na ‘yung mga road users at komyuter,” said Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon in a statement on the evening of Wednesday, June 4.
(I really think the President’s sentiment is this shouldn’t be how we treat our fellow citizens, especially the road users and commuters.)
This year, Dizon said the department will replace “Mt. Kamuning” with a lower footbridge and an elevator, which would be connected to the busway station. He did not specify when the new structures will be available to the public.
There are 138 footbridges across Metro Manila, according to data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Transportation experts have said this reflects how car-centric the cities in the capital region are, while mobility advocates have criticized how these were built for the convenience of motorists.
There have recently been efforts from the Marcos administration to better understand the plight of commuters.
Last week, Dizon joined a community walk along EDSA to see how commuters experience Metro Manila’s main highway.
Marcos and his family rode the MRT3 on Sunday, June 1, to launch a railway promo for families. Along with Dizon, they went on a train ride from GMA Kamuning to North Avenue.
The government is planning to undertake EDSA Rebuild — a program to rehabilitate or reconstruct the highway. Mobility advocates are hoping that the government includes improving pedestrian infrastructure in the program. – with Pia Ranada/Rappler.com