A 37-year-old hiker who survived a 30-meter plunge on Mt. Apo is setting the record straight about her accident.
Photo Courtesy of City DRRMO Digos / Facebook
A 37-year-old hiker who survived a 30-meter fall on Mt. Apo has publicly clarified that a collapsing boulder caused her accident, contradicting initial official reports. Glaiza Prencipe, a resident of Quezon City, issued a statement on June 1, 2026, to correct early narratives that claimed she lost her balance due to strong winds. The incident took place in the White Sand area of the country’s highest peak on May 30, 2026.
The Misconception vs. The Incident
Initial accounts suggested that Prencipe tripped or was blown over while standing on top of a stone near a cliff edge.
However, Prencipe explained that while on a return trek, an individual connected to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) prompted her to sit on an overhanging rock to take a photograph. "I was not standing on the rock," Prencipe stated in her post. Moments after she sat down, the unstable boulder suddenly fractured and gave way, plunging her 30 meters down the ravine. She noted that she trusted the guidance of the person who suggested the spot, assuming they were familiar with the safety of the terrain.
Emergency Response and Medical Status
The accident triggered an immediate response from DENR personnel in Kapatagan, CDRRMO Digos, the BFP-SRF, and local responders from Sta. Cruz.
Local guides and personnel carried Prencipe through the Digos Trail to evacuate her, and she arrived at the Digos Doctors Hospital at approximately 12:45 a.m. on May 31. Hospital officials confirmed that Prencipe survived the major fall without life-threatening complications and remains in stable condition as she recovers from her injuries.
Prencipe added that she has reached out directly to the CDRRMO to formally correct the technical details of the official incident report.
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