Before BBM became PBBM, a foreigner had challenged the designers and contractors of the “Mount Kamuning” footbridge in Cubao, Quezon City, with a rhetorical question: “Is this your idea of providing comfort to your people?”

The challenger was the then German ambassador. This happened in 2022, so it would seem that for the last three years no rebuttal was ever heard from either the Department of Transportation or Department of Public Works, certainly not the Department of Foreign Affairs. Incidentally, Germany is where tourists will find some of the finest, smoothest streets, roadways and highways. Many of their widest, longest motorways, including some leading to Africa, were constructed during the last world war.

What prompted PBBM to order a new and different flyover to replace Mount Kamuning? He’s very likely the first resident of Malacañang to visit the MRT station there and talk to passengers who were taking advantage of a one-plus-three pass. Or was he inspired by the group of Albert Labrador, Greg Aglipay, Bong Manayon and Gregg Yan who played their April Fools Day prank dressed like tourists in their winter hoodies and parkas and carried the Philippine flag like they had just conquered a mountain?

Did the President enjoy the 30-ft climb, four or five storeys up. Seems he liked the view. He said the government should build better more, make life easier for more people.

In fairness to Mount Kamuning, nobody since the German ambassador has made it a point to complain loud or louder, letting their shouts ring over the rooftops. It takes so little to please us. Better a not-so-comfortable flyover than none at all, ‘di ba?

But maybe, just for the sake of argument, should we ask how many million pesos were saved to make the flyover less pedestrian-friendly? A million or ten, who’s paying now for the hardship of Juan and Juanita negotiating Mount Kamuning’s slippery slopes, day and night?

Last Sunday, as we passed Mount Kamuning near the GMA building, I caught a glimpse of how pedestrians were going up and coming down the flyover – such an elegant word! Many of them looked like senior citizens and they were carrying bags and baskets containing bits of who-knows-what. They did not look like they were the complaining type.