It was in 2002 when Iya and her devoted mother came to the Philippines for Iya to pursue her showbiz career. Starting with modeling endorsements, she became a well-loved GJ (game jock) for the Game Channel. It didn’t take long before a TV appearance in Click followed. Soon, she caught Mother Lily’s attention and is now one of the newest Regal babies, better known as Regal Idols. For her movie debut, she joined a formidable ensemble of actors, namely Dina Bonnevie, Amy Austria, and Gloria Romero in A Beautiful Life, directed by the multi-awardwinning Gil Portes. Iya also appears on ABS-CBN’s Sunday shows ASAP and Seasons of Love. It wasn’t long before she starred in her second film, director Joel Lamangan’s Aishite Imasu 1941, where she earned a best supporting actress nomination at the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Although it seems that college and showbiz don’t mix, the persevering Iya has been doing a tough balancing act as she pursues both. She currently studies at De La Salle University, majoring in Psychology.
Truly, there is nothing more admirable than a young woman who strives to be the best that she can be. It is thus no wonder that she has been chosen as Modess’ newest image model. Iya feels honored to follow in the famed footsteps of Donita Rose whom she greatly admires. Modess-ty aside, Modess has always been a woman’s best friend. It is a brand that has learned to adapt to how women’s needs have changed through time. And today, Modess knows that confidence and empowerment are very important to young women. Like Iya.
It was late afternoon when we met up with Iya and her mother at the Peninsula Lobby. She had a warm smile for everyone to match the bright sun on the Peninsula poolside, where the YS photo shoot took place. After the pictorial, we sat down with Iya as she heartily chowed down a plate of penne with meat sauce and indulged herself with a scoop of Cookies N’ Cream ice cream with some sliced bananas on the side. This girl is not afraid of the calories! Between fulsome bites and hearty laughter, Iya shared with Young Star slices of her life. Excerpts:
YS: How did you become a MYX VJ?
IYA VILLANIA: I auditioned for MYX and didn’t get the job ’coz apparently, my accent is very strong. I remember clearly when I auditioned. I left the audition and knew that I wasn’t gonna get the job. And then, I went into high school and I did all these VTRs and all these auditions and then finally, I scored a job. But it was to be a GJ, a game jock, and so I guess, that kinda got me on the right track and then eventually, they asked me to be a VJ for MYX.
Have you always wanted to be a VJ?
Ever since I saw Donita, yeah. No really, honestly… I love you, Donita!
What is the best thing about being a VJ?
You can just be yourself. However wacky I wanna be, I can be that and have people … I’m sure not everyone likes me being wacky, but I get paid to just be myself so that’s the best thing about it ... and I love music also.
How else do you describe yourself?
Wacky, fun, loving ...
How passionate are you about music?
Oh, very passionate. I love music. I play the piano and I sing.
How long have you been playing the piano?
For around eight years.
Nonstop?
Yes (laughs) ... Well, I’ve stopped the professional training, that’s what I’ve stopped. But I practice when I can, but yeah, I’m not as good as I was before. I’m really kulang sa practice, but yeah, I still play.
And you’re coming out with your own album, right?
Yes ... It’s still pending.
Do you compose your own music?
No ... no, no, no ... If I had the time, I would love to, but magulo kasi yung isip ko eh. My mind is just so messy, like one verse would probably be about this and the next verse will be about that. And so you look at the song and you feel like what on earth will I title this!
And college will make you even busier.
Oh, yeah.
How important is college to you?
Oh, it’s very important to me.
You’re determined to finish school?
I promised my mom that I would. And it helps me also. I get the best of both worlds. I get to be an artist and not everyone’s an artist. How many people want to be an artist? And then, I’m in showbiz and I see all these artistas that I use to watch on TV, so yeah …
Why did you take up Psychology?
Originally, I was supposed to take up Advertising, Marketing or Inter-Disciplinary studies, but my math is not at all that very good and so, I took up Psychology. Psychology was my fourth option anyway so ...
How well can you read people?
Well, not so well right now … but I know when I don’t like someone. But I guess it’s interesting ... don’t you ever wonder like ... I wonder why she did that ... yeah.
Would you consider being a psychologist?
Oh yeah! I would, or a counselor … I could help. Anything could happen. I might be "the" psychopath! (Laughs.)
What do you think is the first impression that people get when they meet you?
I guess it depends on the kind of people I’m in front of. If they’re really prim and proper, then I’m quiet! (Laughs.) But when I see that they’re kinda like me – they’re out there, they’re outgoing and fun – then hey, I guess it depends on the crowd.
What’s the one thing you’re not proud of about yourself?
Umm ... picking my nose ... no! No, no, no ... none. I’m proud of all my talents, whether it be an ugly talent or not! Hahaha …
Describe your fashion style.
Street, urban, laid-back, simple.
When you’re not working and you don’t have to be anywhere, what’s your usual getup?
My usual getup would be havianas, tsinelas, thongs um ... jeans ... na sira-sira, a belt and either a T-shirt or a tank top.
During your free time, where do you usually want to go? Do you like the beach?
Um … I prefer to just stay home, watch TV or watch a movie or go to a coffee shop, meet up with friends. I don’t like shopping because if I see something, I would buy it (laughs) and I’m quite kuripot so …
Good for you! You mean you’re not a shopaholic?
I love shopping, that’s what’s bad. I love shopping. I end up shopping so much that’s why I prefer to just stay away from it, and the stuff I like here are quite expensive. I don’t get to go to the ukay-ukay, where you can apparently find a lot of good clothes. I never get to go to that kind of thing so I usually save my shopping for when I go to Australia and I have good sponsors. They have nice clothes so I’m quite happy. I’m happy with what they give me. ’Coz once you buy something and you wear it on TV, you cannot wear it again. They’re gonna say, "Ay si Iya naubusan na ng damit ... nye suot niya oh!" Although sometimes I do it, but I give it like six months before I wear it again.
In school, are you the type who always dresses like you’re going somewhere?
No, I dress for the occasion. Of course, there are times when you want to dress up. You’re just like … I wanna wear this.
But when you’re just going to school …
When I’m going to school … my goodness! I can’t wear tsinelas to school anymore ’coz I got caught by Mang Jack so I don’t wanna risk getting caught anymore. So I just wear sneakers, jeans, and a shirt or a tank top.
(Mang Jack is a discipline officer at DLSU. He’s quite famous around the campus!)
It looks like you have a love affair with food.
I do! (Turns to her plate of penne with meat sauce waiting to be demolished.) I do! Will you marry me? You may now kiss the bride!
What’s your favorite food?
Ohh … I can’t live without my mom’s cooking.
What’s her specialty?
Kare-kare, but I don’t eat bagoong so my mom cooks kare-kare in a way where it has flavor already. Me and my sisters love it. Everyone loves it. I love it!
Do you have a sweet tooth?
Yeah … I love ice cream. I love chocolate, white milk chocolate …
Are you a pastry girl?
If it’s a Danish apricot kind of thing, yeah. I used to like croissants, but these days, the croissants are hard. I don’t like them anymore. That’s why I’ve stopped eating them. I’ve stopped ordering them. I mean, don’t you see that? Like you want a croissant and when you press it, it’s like it’s hard.
How do you feel about working out?
Oh, I really love to. If I can only go back to the gym, I would. When I work out, I feel healthy and fit so I feel confident about myself, but since I haven’t been able to, I (laughs) just pig out! I pig out and yeah … I try not to eat too late in the evening.
But does your busy schedule allow you to choose the time you eat?
Yeah, that’s the thing and when I’m working, I prefer not to eat and I feel like I might get something green in between my teeth or I can’t smile and so I save my eating for later. That’s why I’m getting rid of the green stuff.
What’s your sport?
In Australia, we call it touch footing, but I think here, it’s called American football or something like that. But it’s touch, we don’t tackle.
There’s a flag football team at La Salle, maybe you should join.
Oh yeah? I want to, but I’m hiya’coz I haven’t been able to practice. I’m scared. If I don’t catch the ball, I’ll be like, "Oh-no!"
So, you’d be a VJ slash flag football player.
If I can only join the varsity, but they practice like every day and they train so I wouldn’t be able to … too bad.
Are there days when you feel everything’s just gonna go wrong?
Yeah …
When you’re stressed out and you’ve got a big project to do, what’s your instant feel-good remedy?
Oh, I guess the best thing is to just get the job over and done with. Yeah, that’s the only way I’d feel good. For instance, if there’s a project I have to do, but I’m supposed to go out the night before or do something with friends, I prefer to just stay home and work on it.
You’re very close to your mom.
Is it that or is it because she’s always with me? (Laughs.) She gave up quite a lot to be with me here in the Philippines so I’m happy to have her around. And of course, there are times when I don’t have the power to do this, I don’t have the guts or nerve to do something. I’ll be like, "Oh, Mom, you know I don’t like this, I don’t like that" or "Mom, you know I’m hungry" or something so she’s there for me.
She was telling me a while ago how much she loves Drew.
(Laughs) Oh my gosh! … He’s from La Salle, too.
She was saying that Drew has everything she could ever ask for in a daughter’s boyfriend.
Oh my gosh, Mom, nakakahiya ka! No, but I’m really lucky to have Drew in my life … Oh! Honestly, I mean to have someone ’coz we’re really close and we’re really honest with each other, and he comes over often. And he’s not one of the guys that try to take me out of the house and be with me alone. We have dinner with my mom. When we watch a movie, we’re with my mom sometimes so my mom can tell that he’s got nothing to hide. He’s got no bad intentions so …
It’s probably too early, but do you see marriage in the not-too-distant future?
Getting married … oh yeah. To Drew? Oh, I don’t know about that. (Laughs.) But I guess everyone wants to have a family in the future.
Are you the type who wants a big family?
Hmm ... three or four or five.
You’re the youngest in the family. Did your mom spoil you?
Oh yeah, up till now, my sisters think that I’m the only one that my parents love.
Do you think you’d rather be the greatest mother or this girl with a really successful career?
Greatest mother.
Do you think you’d drop everything you’ve achieved just to be ...
Just to be with my kid? Yeah, maybe not everything ’coz if I drop everything including work, then how can I be a great mother if I can’t even support my kid?
What do you think you’d want your future kid to inherit from you?
I guess my musicality. The music in me.
What’s your favorite song?
I like Alicia Keys. I can’t choose a song ’coz I just love her. I like Janet Jackson also, but there’s this one song that me and Drew both love. Actually, he’s the one that made me love it. It’s Kissing by Bliss. I don’t even think they have a music video for that, but when I heard it, it was like wow! …
What words do you live by every day?
I guess it’s not words I live by. It’s more like thoughts I live by. I just think of my family in Australia. I think of being home back in Australia. I guess that’s what gets me through every day.
But is there like a motto that you follow?
Don’t start what you can’t finish.
How do you see yourself five years from now? Of course, you must have finished college by then.
I hope so! (Laughs.) Maybe I would change to another course and I have to take another 10 years or something! But um, I’m hoping I can have a business. I don’t know, maybe I’d start a business in five years.
Will it be a restaurant or a fashion boutique?
I’m thinking fashion. My mom’s thinking of a coffee shop right now. I can’t really tell now.
Describe yourself in one word.
Whacked. (Laughs.) No, God-fearing … can I make it two words? Three? Malambing, God-fearing, and loving.