A TikTok video by user Kenneth Urbano went viral after a routine jog in Camalig, Albay quickly turned into a frantic escape as Mayon Volcano erupted and sent ash and debris across nearby areas on Saturday, May 2.
Urbano said they were doing a casual run along the Camalig Bypass Road when they first noticed a light mist and what looked like white smoke from the mountain.
“Akala ko normal lang yun na usok,” he said.
“It was a jog…until it wasn’t,” the text in the TikTok video read.
“Literal na run for your life,” the caption also read.
@kenn01477 literal na run for your life #mayon #run #camaligalbay #bypassroad ♬ What Floor? – idokay
Moments later, the plume thickened and turned dark, prompting them to run for safety.
“Hanggang sa nasa kabilang side na kami ng bypass road, pagtalikod namin, [ang] laki po ng usok ta’s maitim po,” he said.
He added that what started as an ordinary jog quickly escalated into panic.
“While running I’m thinking of possible things kapag naabutan, like sumilong sa building, then gamitin yong pawisan na damit pang-takip sa nose,” he said.
Eventually, a passing vehicle picked them up and brought them safely back to Legazpi City.
“Luckily po may nagpasakay sa amin at nakauwi po ng safe sa Legazpi,” he said.
Urbano described the experience as surreal.
“‘Yung normal jog, naging run for life po, na para bang nasa Hunger Games po,” he said, adding that he and his friends are safe but learned a hard lesson about jogging near an active volcano.
The volcano remained under Alert Level 3 as it continued to show signs of unrest, including ash emissions, lava flows, volcanic earthquakes, rockfall events and pyroclastic density currents within the Permanent Danger Zone, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
—John Marwin Elao
