At your service even beyond Christmas

When Iza Calzado was invited to host At Your Service Star Power, a service-oriented program on QTV 11, she never hesitated to take the job. She regarded it as a fulfillment of a long-time dream to be part of the network’s News and Public Affairs department, and be of service to her less-fortunate countrymen, just like her idols Jessica Soho and Vicky Morales.

Long before, she already yearned to have her own show that serves people and be able to give them hope. She confesses that whenever the staff of other service-oriented programs visit their taping, she would always wonder if she could also possibly have a similar show. When At Your Service was to be aired on QTV when the channel was launched more than a year ago, Iza became the top choice to host it.

As a constant figure in fantasy-themed series of GMA, as Amihan in Encantadia and as Cielo in Atlantika, Iza is a household name and her roles have portrayed her as a woman of power and defender of the weak.

In reality, though, she is not the superwoman who can solve our country’s major social problems. She also seeks the help of her colleagues in accomplishing the show’s mission. Iza, together with her guest celebrities, goes to poor communities around the country to give people the help they need – like a new day-care center or playground for the children or medical services. She is glad some of her guests found the experience so overwhelming they even volunteered to be in the show once again. But their powers are not enough. Thus, she also calls on some companies to help her advance the show’s causes.

Having been exposed to the poorest parts of the country in her year-long stint with the show, Iza believes the government should prioritize its housing program. For her, every Filipino family should have a decent home to protect them from humiliation, illnesses and nature’s unforgiving elements. People’s frame of minds are somehow changed when they are properly sheltered. It makes them feel more dignified to have a place to go home to at the end of the day, says Iza.

Iza always has a soft spot for children. She believes they are the most vulnerable victims of greed and indifference. With proper care, attention and education, we can somehow change their future and let them become worthy citizens of the country.

Iza is a genuine altruist. She confides that she prefers to spend her birthdays at Philippine Children’s Medical Center in lieu of showbiz parties, just to be with the unfortunate children she cares so much about. Being there for her and sharing those precious moments with these little angels give her a humbling experience worth remembering.

For Iza, Christmas is a year-round event. She embodies the true spirit of sharing even when the carols, the lanterns and the blinking lights are gone.