Veteran actress Alicia Alonzo has fully embraced a life of prayer and simplicity in a monastery in Magalang, Pampanga, officially ending her decades-long showbiz career.
“Officially nag-retire na ako. Tama na,” Alicia told broadcast journalist Julius Babao during a candid interview for his YouTube channel. With quiet certainty, she confirmed that she has left behind the limelight that had defined her life since the late 1960s.
Now living as a layperson among nuns at the Caryana Monastery, Alicia has cut ties with her old lifestyle, even discarding her former SIM card. She shared that her spiritual journey began in childhood but deepened in the 2000s when she started attending Mass regularly at Caryana. Her close friendship with the late actor Lito Legaspi, who also found peace at the monastery before passing in 2019, helped nurture her growing faith.
“Very close friend na no strings attached. Puro si Lord ang pinag-uusapan namin. No personal issues,” she recalled.
A turning point came when Alicia suffered a bout of vertigo that led to hospitalization. Instead of recovering at home, she stayed at the monastery for a week—a decision that changed her life. “Nakita ko ‘yung buhay dito. Dun ako nag-umpisa maging seryoso,” she said.
For the past two years, Alicia has lived quietly in the monastery, joining in seven daily prayers, fasting, and practicing charity. She wears plain clothes and carries out small tasks to help the community. “Dito, hindi ako artista… parang naramdaman ko ‘yung freedom, parang I’m free,” she said, describing the peace she’s found.
Her life had once been filled with fame, romance, and heartbreak—including her relationship with actor Ross Rival and the tragic loss of her son, Jon Hernandez. But none of that compares to the contentment she now feels. Even visits to America, where her grandchildren live, no longer bring her joy.
“‘Yung last punta ko doon sa Amerika, parang hindi ako masaya… Dito masaya ako. Nakakatulog ako nang maayos,” she said.
Having sold her Quezon City home and possessions, Alicia is resolute: “No more. Talagang dito, tinuldukan ko na.”
In her words, she has finally found peace of mind and soul—living each day with prayer, fasting, and repentance.