Iya Villania, binalikan ang hirap bago tuluyang makilala sa Philippine showbiz

• Iya Villania reflected on her journey from Australia to Philippine showbiz
• Her Filipino roots remained strong through her family's community connections
• Arnold Vegafria and Randy Santiago helped open doors for her in the Philippines
• Iya faced multiple rejections before landing her first regular hosting job in 2003

Iya Villania looked back on her journey from growing up in Australia to building a career in Philippine show business, including the challenges she faced when she first moved to the country.

In an episode of the Kami Ang Inyong Mga... Podcast, Iya shared that despite being born and raised in Australia, she remained deeply connected to Filipino culture through her family. Her mother organized Filipino concerts and ran a Filipino and Asian grocery store, giving Iya early connections to Filipino entertainers.

"My mom would produce Filipino concerts in Australia. And then we also had a Filipino and Asian grocery store," she recalled.

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"And so she would produce Filipino concerts along with friends. And so we'd have Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez."

"Although I was born and raised in Australia, I was still deeply rooted in the Pinoy culture and community," she added.

Her mother's connections eventually helped Iya when she decided to pursue showbiz in the Philippines. Among those she met was talent manager Arnold Vegafria, who became her manager when she moved to the country.

"So eventually she became friends with managers of you know these artists, and then she became friends with Arnold Vegafria. So, Arnold was my way when I came here as my manager. He said, 'Okay, you know what? Come to the Philippines. Ako ang bahala sa'yo. I'll help you out.' And also tito Randy Santiago. He would also say na, 'Oh, come to the Philippines. Come and visit me, sa... MTB (Magandang Tanghali Bayan)," she said.

Iya moved to the Philippines in 2002 and started auditioning for different projects, but getting work was not easy.

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"My first job was, well I had to audition for all sorts of things. Siyempre kapag baguhan ka, hindi ka pwedeng mapili. So, I was auditioning for commercials, whatnot. I was also rejected many times," she recounted.

She eventually landed a regular job as a game jock for IBC 13 in 2003.

"I came here 2002, got work 2003 as a game jock [for] IBC 13," she said.

Looking back, Iya admitted that she once thought waiting a year for her first opportunity was already a long time. She later realized that she was actually fortunate to find work that quickly.

"Luckily enough for me after a year I got work and I thought that in the year that I gave myself to look for work, I thought that was already long but now I realized, ang ikli lang pala ng panahon. I happened to just be very blessed and lucky to have landed work within that year because I know for others it takes many years," she said.

Her early hosting experience eventually helped her become more comfortable in front of the camera. She later transferred to GMA for Click, where she met Drew Arellano, before moving to ABS-CBN in 2004.

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"It was through that show that I started getting comfortable talking to myself on the camera and then eventually found my way to, well transferred [to] GMA because I did Click" she said.

"I did Click for a time. That's where I met Drew (Arellano). And then after a year, [in] 2004 I went to [ABS-CBN]," she relayed.

Iya Villania is a Filipino-Australian actress, television host, and singer who gained widespread popularity as a VJ for the music channel Myx. She is also well-known for serving as the "Chika Minute" segment anchor for GMA Network's flagship evening newscast, 24 Oras.

In another report, TV host and fitness enthusiast Iya Villania opened up about the mental struggle she sometimes experiences before working out. During an episode of their “Kami Ang Inyong Mga...” podcast, Iya admitted that she does not always feel motivated to exercise. Despite the initial difficulty, she continues with her routine because she enjoys the sense of accomplishment that comes after completing a challenging workout. Iya shared that appreciating these simple moments of fulfillment helps her cope with the difficulties she encounters in everyday life.

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Meanwhile, Iya Villania shared an emotional moment involving her son, Leon, during a visit to a pet shop. Leon became attached to a dog named Annie and was left in tears after another customer decided to reserve the puppy. Iya said the experience showed her how deeply her son can love despite his energetic and playful personality. Leon’s older brother, Primo, also comforted him by sharing his own experience of not getting the dog he had initially wanted.

Source: KAMI.com.gh