TAIPEI: Growing up in Asia's "Ring of Fire," Filipinos are used to earthquakes. But nothing prepared me — and likely the other estimated 159,000 Filipinos that live here — to face down an earthquake for the history books — which, if it had occurred in another country — would have likely left hundreds, if not thousands, dead.
April 3 began for me as most mornings would — I ducked into the studio to prepare for the 8 a.m. newscast. But unlike most mornings, two minutes before the show began, the room began to sway ever so slightly. The swaying would come to a pause before a rumble began and the studio began to shake violently, toppling Covid-era plastic dividers, rearranging chairs, violently pushing the prompter in one direction, and the microphone in another. I had seconds to decide whether to leave the room, duck under the counter, or go on to read the news — and after I'd made that decision, I needed to catch my breath, decide whether I would mention the violent shaking without panicking our listeners, or even pretend it never happened to keep from triggering any public panic.
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