OFW recounts 'traumatic' minutes during Japan earthquake

After nearly four years of living in Japan peacefully, the family of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jackie Mae dela Cruz thought powerful earthquakes were unimaginable.  Then came the 7.6 magnitude temblor in central Japan, destroying structures and claiming lives mostly across Ishikawa prefecture.

In their residential area in Toyama, dela Cruz witnessed how their home got in total disorder as objects fell on the floor as the earth shook.

“Nagpapahinga po kami dito sa bahay dahil po long vacation po ngayon dito sa Japan nung lumindol. Nagkaroon po ng alert sa mga cellphones namin na may malakas na lindol at kasunod po nun is alert po sa tsunami,” dela Cruz told GMA News Online in a message. 

[We were resting in our house when the earthquake happened. We suddenly received alerts warning of an earthquake and possible tsunami.]

“First time po namin makaranas ng ganoon kalakas na lindol for almost four years [of staying] po dito. ‘Yun po yung pinakamalakas na lindol,” she said. 

[That was the first time we experienced that after living in Japan for almost four years. That was the strongest quake.]

According to a Reuters report, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially issued a major tsunami warning - its first since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan killing nearly 20,000 people - for Ishikawa prefecture. It later downgraded that and eventually cut it to an advisory.

It was the strongest quake in the region in more than four decades, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Dela Cruz said they immediately evacuated to safety after receiving the earthquake alerts. No casualties or damage were reported in her area. 

Her family were among those who had already returned home on Tuesday but they remained terrified of the strong aftershocks. 

“After po nang malakas na lindol, nag-evacuate na po kami at habang andun po kami sa evacuation ay maya’t maya pa rin po ang pag lindol. Hanggang ngayon po ay nakakaranas pa din po kami ng aftershocks,” the OFW said.

[We evacuated after the tremors and even at the evacuation area, we felt the aftershocks. There are still aftershocks until now.]

“Nakakatrauma. Di kami nakatulog nang maayos kasi po maya-maya ‘yung pag-alog…Kasalukuyan na po kaming nasa bahay. Nakakatakot kasi pakikiramdaman mo kung tatagal ba yun lindol o hindi,” she said.

[It is traumatizing. We cannot sleep because of the tremors. We are now at home but we’re still scared because you have to be vigilant of the earthquake.]

“Nakaready pa din po ang mga gamit namin if ever mag-announce po ng [evacuation uli],” dela Cruz added.

[Our things are still packed in case we were advised to evacuate again.]

A Reuters report on Tuesday said the death toll in the powerful quake that hit Japan on New Year’s Day rose to 30, with rescue teams struggling to reach isolated areas where buildings had been toppled, roads wrecked and power cut to tens of thousands of homes.

The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck on Monday afternoon, prompting residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground as tsunami waves hit Japan's west coast, sweeping some cars and houses into the sea.

Philippine authorities said no Filipino casualties were reported in the incident but 35 Filipinos evacuated from their homes due to the possible tsunami. 

According to a "24 Oras" report by Tina Panganiban-Perez, several OFWs in Toyama also detailed their harrowing experience during the quake.

"Iyong mga kasamahan ko po nag-iiyakan na, halo-halo na yung emotions na nararamdaman. Ako po, pinakalma ko yung sarili ko.  Hindi po namin akalain na mae-experience namin yung ganun kalakas na lindol," Ryan, an OFW in Fushiki, Toyama said.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier said that the Philippine government has been working closely with the Japanese government to ensure the welfare of Filipinos following the devastating earthquake.

“We are in close collaboration with the Japanese government to secure the welfare of our kababayans, who thankfully remain unharmed,” said Marcos Jr. on X (formerly Twitter).

“We have made the offer to assist in any way that we can. In the face of shared climate challenges within the Pacific Ring of Fire, we stand united with Japan and stay ready to provide support from the Philippines,” he said. 

Situated on the "Ring of Fire" arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that partly encircles the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater, and each year experiences up to 2,000 quakes that can be felt by people. —LDF, GMA Integrated News