Renowned Filipino composer and National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab was in Thailand when a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country and its neighbor, Myanmar. Cayabyab shared his terrifying experience on Instagram, recounting how he and his wife found themselves in chaos after the quake hit.
“We were exiting a building after lunch and suddenly people were pushing us and sobrang nagtataka kami ni misis—may hinahabol ba sila???” Cayabyab wrote, describing their initial confusion when they noticed the sudden surge of people fleeing. Within moments, the streets were filled with panicked crowds. “Maya maya lang ang dami nang tao sa daan! Waaaaaah happening? Wala kami makausap ng inggles!!!” he added, highlighting their struggle to communicate amid the confusion.
As the ground continued to shake, Cayabyab realized the gravity of the situation. “Anak ng pucha. Lindol ba itooooo!??? 7.3. Ang lakas. Grabiii,” he exclaimed, realizing that the commotion was due to the powerful earthquake. The couple, still processing the shock, soon realized that returning to their hotel was going to be another challenge.
“[Hindi] kami makapasok ng hotel namin [eh] check out time naaaa. Meron pa kaming flight,” Cayabyab noted. In a separate post, he narrated how they eventually managed to get back to their hotel room after waiting in 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,” Cayabyab recounted. They rushed back to the elevator, fearing another long wait.
Once they packed their belongings, Cayabyab and his wife faced another challenge—finding transportation to the airport. The composer shared that they struggled to book a ride and were unsure whether flights had been canceled due to the earthquake.
Despite the overwhelming ordeal, Cayabyab confirmed that he and his wife had returned safely to the Philippines on March 29. The experience left them both shaken but grateful to be back home.