The Kamuning Footbridge, officially the Scout Borromeo–NIA South Road Footbridge and also known as the EDSA–Kamuning Footbridge, is a

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

pedestrian

footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

spanning

EDSA Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA (), is a major Ring road, circumferential road around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citi ...

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

, Philippines. Constructed by the

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...

(MMDA) in October 2018, the footbridge is high, located near Manuel L. Quezon University, the

National Irrigation Administration The National Irrigation Administration (NIA; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation of the Philippine government responsible for irrigation development and management in the Philippines. History NIA was created under Republic Act ( ...

Complex, and the

GMA–Kamuning station GMA–Kamuning station, also known as Kamuning station, is an elevated Manila Metro Rail Transit System, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station located on the MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila), MRT Line 3 (MRT-3) system at the boundary of barangays South Trian ...

. It connects Scout Borromeo Street in Barangay South Triangle to NIA South Road in Barangay

Pinyahan Pinyahan, sometimes spelled Piñahan, is a barangay of Quezon City, the Philippines. Etymology Pinyahan means "a place where pineapple is grown" in Tagalog language, Tagalog. Prior to its subdivision by the People's Homesite and Housing Corpor ...

, spanning both

and the

MRT-3 The Metro Rail Transit Line 3, also known as the MRT Line 3, MRT-3, or Metrostar Express, is a rapid transit line in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The line runs in an orbital north to south route following the alignment of Epifanio de los S ...

at-grade At-grade may refer to: *At-grade intersection, a crossing between roads on the same level * Road junction *Level crossing, where a road or path crosses a railway on the same level * Diamond crossing, where two railway tracks cross * At-grade railway ...

tracks. Its steep height and appearance has gained public attention, with many online comments remarking that it is inconvenient to use and discriminates against

people with disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

senior citizens Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

ren, and those who suffer from

vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

. As a result, it was mockingly nicknamed as "Mount Kamuning" and a "stairway to heaven" by both the public and local media, leading to mock "hiking" stunts and being the subject of online ridicule. The MMDA defended the design, stating it was necessary to discourage jaywalking and alleged robberies in the area, and "only intended for able-bodied pedestrians". Suggestions to rectify the issue by installing elevators or escalators were raised but not addressed due to budget constraints. As of June 2025, the footbridge is planned to be demolished and rebuilt following a directive from Philippine president

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...

to have the Department of Transportation (DOTr) replace the footbridge with a design more accessible and convenient to road users and commuters.

History

Construction on the footbridge began in 2018. While it was being constructed, photos of the half-built footbridge went viral online in November 2018, as people criticized the footbridge's steep height and appearance, raising concerns on how it would be inconvenient for people with disabilities, senior citizens, and

pregnant women Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception usually occurs following vaginal intercourse, but can also ...

. The footbridge has a maximum clearance height of high and has a project cost of and was constructed by the BF Corporation owned by former MMDA chairperson

Bayani Fernando Bayani Flores Fernando (; July 25, 1946 – September 22, 2023) was a Filipino politician, businessman, and mechanical engineer. He served as the mayor of Marikina from 1992 to 2001. During the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arr ...

. In response, MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia Jr. stated that the project was designed to prevent

jaywalking Jaywalking is the act of pedestrians walking in or crossing a roadway if that act contravenes traffic regulations. The term ''jay-walker'' originated in the United States as a derivation of the phrase ''jay-driver'' (the word ''jay'' meaning a ...

along EDSA and reduce incidents of

robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

in the area. He defended the footbridge by describing it as intended for "able-bodied pedestrians seeking to cross the road quickly and safely" and claimed that the footbridge provides "maximum comfort for pedestrians". Garcia also addressed concerns about the steep height of the structure, explaining that it is located at a portion where the MRT-3 run near

ground level Ground level may refer to: * Earth's surface * Storey of a building/structure on (level with) the ground; also called the "ground floor" * Ground Level, Australian band * "Ground Level", a song by Stereo MCs from the album ''Connected'' See also ...

, necessitating a gap of stating that it is located at a segment where the MRT-3 is near ground level and that the footbridge must maintain a clearance of above the MRT-3 tracks. He added that the decision to construct the footbridge out of metal was because it was "easier to construct" and "cheaper". MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago further defended the project, calling it as the agency's "best compromise" to discourage "reckless or lazy" pedestrian behavior, emphasizing that the MMDA is prioritizing public safety over convenience. Following the initial backlash, the MMDA added landing areas for pedestrians to rest while climbing the footbridge. The MMDA also considered installing elevators and escalators to address concerns about the footbridge's steepness. However, Garcia stated that there was no available budget for such features. On

April Fools' Day April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. ...

in 2019, two individuals dressed up as

mountain climber Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

s with hiking gear and backpacks and gave a satirical account of the "hike" to the media. One of them also recounted that the footbridge vibrates whenever MRT-3 trains pass below it. In January 2022, Dirk Janssen, the

consul general A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

of the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

posted an old photo of the footbridge on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

, criticizing it with the caption: "" () In January 2025, a hiking app satirically listed "Mount Kamuning" and "Mount Shaw Boulevard" as peaks, describing the former as the "urban

Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...

of EDSA" and a "high-altitude reminder of the uphill battle for a more

pedestrian-friendly In urban planning, walkability is the accessibility of amenities within a reasonable walking distance. It is based on the idea that urban spaces should be more than just transport corridors designed for maximum vehicle throughput. Instead, it s ...

city". In June 2025, following a visit to

, Philippine president

ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to demolish and replace the footbridge to be more accessible and convenient to road users and commuters. The DOTr has bared plans to build a much lower footbridge that will use elevators and provide direct access to the Kamuning stop of the

EDSA Carousel The EDSA Carousel, also known as Route 1 and formerly and still referred to as Route E, is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, part of several bus routes in Metro Manila. It is situated along EDSA ( C-4 Road) and other roads, running on a dedic ...

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Quezon City Pedestrian bridges in the Philippines 2018 establishments in the Philippines Transportation in Metro Manila Architectural controversies