MANILA, Philippines – Actor Jhong Hilario and his wife, Maia Azores, along with their two-year-old daughter Sarina, experienced a Magnitude 7.6 earthquake during their trip to Japan.
The family of three was comfortably settled in their hotel room in Osaka when the earthquake occurred, with its epicenter recorded in Ishikawa Prefecture. This information was spotted on the Facebook page of the “It’s Showtime” host on Monday, January 1st.
Hilario conducted a prayer while Sarina rested in bed. Maia urged the three of them to leave the building, but the TV host cautioned against it, explaining that using elevators during an earthquake would not be safe or advisable.
“Nasa 22nd floor kami kaya ramdam na ramdam namin and talagang nakita namin ‘yung umuga ‘yung buong building. Nakuhanan ko din ng video ‘yung pag-uga makikita mo doon sa video na gusto talaga bumaba ni Maia,” he said.
“Sabi ko, hindi gagana talaga ‘yung elevator ‘pag ganyan eh. Saka mahirap ‘pag nai-stuck ka sa elevator, hindi ka makakalabas na. ‘Pag nag-stairs naman kami, sobrang taas eh meron kaming dalang bata,” he added.
Although the earthquake’s epicenter was not in Osaka, strong tremors rattled the family, significantly unsettling them. Hilario’s first instinct was to believe it was a significant quake.
Concerned for their safety, they decided to exit their room and head downstairs. However, as they descended, they noticed that people on the ground floor seemed unconcerned by the earthquake, casually going about their activities.
“Noong medyo humina, lumabas kami and then tinignan namin kung may mga nagbabaan, wala. Mayroon kaming nakitang room service, tinanong namin. [Sabi ko] ‘There’s an earthquake.’ Sabi [niya], ‘Oh yeah, it’s normal.’ So sa kanila parang normal na,” he said.
Reflecting on their earthquake experience, Hilario expressed gratitude for his family’s safety. “Nakakatakot din kasi may tsunami warning daw, pero at least safe kami,” he said.
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