Tatlong taong iniyakan noon ni Hilda Koronel ang desisyong talikuran ang kanyang acting career para manirahan nang permanente sa Amerika.
Sa Amerika kasi nagtatrabaho noon ang asawa niyang si Ralph Moore Jr.
Ipinagtapat ito ng multi-awarded actress sa media conference ng kanyang comeback film, ang Sisa, na naganap nitong Martes, Disyembre 17, 2024.
Read: Hilda Koronel to make much-awaited comeback via Sisa
“Mahirap na desisyon. I had to leave everything because my husband works in California," sabi ni Hilda.
“I had to go. I had no choice but to go.
"I left everything, my career, so medyo mahirap.
"The first three years, I was crying and crying."
CITIZEN HILDA KORONEL
Natatawa naman ang aktres habang nagkukuwento tungkol sa mga karanasan niya bilang ordinaryong mamamayan sa California.
Lahad niya: “Naghuhugas ako ng pinggan, et cetera.
"And then, nasa Immigration ako, hindi nila ako makuhanan ng fingerprints kasi may bubbles daw.
“Sabi ko, 'You know why? Hindi ako naghuhugas ng pinggan sa Maynila.'
"They were laughing and laughing at me, so it was like an experience talaga na iba.
“And up to now, I don’t even know how to put gas in my car. My husband does it for me.
"So, it was like, 'Oh my gosh, sa Maynila, I don’t even have to go down.'
“Kapag ikinukuwento ko yon sa Amerika, they’re like shocked also, like, ‘What, you have maids there?’ Kasi, 'Parang may slaves kayo doon?'
"[I told them] 'No, no, no. They’re like family to us. They stay with us like forever, 25 years, 30 years.'”
Read: Legendary actress Hilda Koronel, balik-Pinas at balik-pelikula
Habang nasa Amerika ay pinagtuunan daw ni Hilda ang pagiging maybahay, hanggang sa pumanaw ang kanyang mister noong Hunyo 2023.
Saad niya: “Mostly talagang I just became a housewife, and I just concentrated on that when we were together for thirty years before he passed.
"So I was just, like, I wanted to really make it work and it did.
“Magpo-fold ka ng clothes, isa-isa yon, ilalagay mo sa mga drawer. Yun ang mga ginagawa ko, mga normal.
"Tapos magluluto ako ng almusal, ng hapunan.
"Kapag weekend, mula umaga, tanghali, hanggang gabi, talagang fulltime ako, and I have my animals.
“I’ve been in this [acting] business since 1969, matagal na, so parang ibang phase naman. Parang nagpahinga ako nang konti.”
CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA
Ang Pasko sa Amerika ang isa sa mga nagpapalungkot kay Hilda dahil naaalaala raw niya ang nakasanayang masayang pagdiriwang ng Pasko sa Pilipinas.
Muling natawa si Hilda nang ilahad nitong ipinatanggal niya ang TFC (The Filipino Channel) sa kanilang tahanan sa Amerika dahil sa lungkot na nararamdaman nila ng kanyang asawa.
“Malungkot nang konti yung Christmas. I used to have TFC.
"Kaming mag-asawa, iyak nang iyak tuwing makikita namin yung tiangge, the decorations, which I am seeing now, which I missed in the U.S.
“Iyak ako nang iyak, tinanggal ko yung TFC ko. Nalungkot ako for awhile,” sabi ni Hilda.
Read: Hilda Koronel remembers ex-husband Jay Ilagan; on good terms with Amy Austria
CONTINUOUS OFFERS
Kahit naninirahan siya sa ibang bansa, hindi raw nawawalan ng acting offers si Hilda, pero pinipili niya ang mga proyektong tatanggapin.
“Actually, before the pandemic, I had an offer already. There were two films I was supposed to do, sinagot ko na yon.
"Then I had pneumonia. I was hospitalized for five days.
"And they were calling and calling my husband, 'She has to come already.'
“Thank God, nangyari sa akin yon, kung hindi, dito ako [sa Pilipinas] aabutin ng pandemic.
"Then for two years, hindi ako lumabas ng bahay."
Dagdag ni Hilda, “Every year, marami akong offers, e, but I wanted to really choose my…
"At this point in time, I believe I have the right to choose kung ano ang movie na gusto kong gawin. Gusto ko, maganda talaga."
Read: Dating aktres na si Hilda Koronel, nagkaroon ng rare public appearance sa Amerika