Ryan Cayabyab recounts experiencing 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Thailand
Renowned Filipino composer and National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab was in Thailand when a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook the country and its neighbor Myanmar.
On Instagram, the Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika composer narrated that he and his wife were about to leave a building after lunch when they suddenly had an unexpected encounter with panic.
"We were exiting a building after lunch and suddenly people were pushing us and sobrang nagtataka kami ni misis—may hinahabol ba sila???"
Within moments, the streets were flooded with people. “Maya maya lang ang dami nang tao sa daan! Waaaaaah happening? Wala kami makausap ng inggles!!!” Cayabyab wrote, describing the overwhelming rush of people around them.
"Anak ng pucha. Lindol ba itooooo!??? 7.3. Ang lakas. Grabiii," he exclaimed, realizing that the shaking wasn't just a panic-induced rush—it was a full-blown earthquake.
With their initial shock still setting in, the couple realized that returning to their hotel might not be as simple.
"[Hindi] kami makapasok ng hotel namin [eh] check out time naaaa. Meron pa kaming flight."
In a separate post, Cayabyab shared how he and his wife made it to their room after encountering long lines at the elevator.
"We hurriedly put our stuff inside the maletas. Wala nang ayus ayus.[smiley emoji] [Ang bilis] namin makalabas ng kuwarto," he began. "Takbo ulit sa elevator baka mahaba na naman ang hintay."
The composer and his wife then struggled with booking a ride to the airport. They also wondered if flights were canceled after the earthquake.
On March 29, Cayabyab said he and his wife had returned safely to the Philippines.
No Filipinos were hurt
In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas on Saturday, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega said that no Filipinos were hurt by the recent earthquake in Thailand.
"So far walang Pilipino, according to the ambassadors natin, walang Pilipino acquired bed hurt or injured," De Vega said.
However, he told Super Radyo dzBB that four Filipinos in Myanmar were unaccounted for on March 30.
On March 28, a massive earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand, killing more than 1,600 and injuring hundreds, with dozens trapped in collapsed buildings and the death toll expected to rise.
The shallow 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon and was followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock.
The quake flattened buildings, downed bridges, cracked roads across swathes of Myanmar, and even demolished a 30-storey skyscraper under construction hundreds of kilometers away in Bangkok.
While the full extent of the catastrophe is yet to emerge, the leader of isolated Myanmar, in the grip of a civil war, issued a rare plea for international aid.
