Award-winning actress Iza Calzado considers as special her latest “Maalaala Mo Kaya” appearance because she nearly lost the opportunity to do it.

“Alam mo ‘yung minsan na may dumarating na alam mong para sa iyo siya,” she initially said during the online press conference for the drama anthology yesterday, July 6. (You know those occasions, when you know something comes along just for you.)

“And then nag-free ‘yung schedule ko and they already offered it to somebody else. That person said suddenly ay hindi siya puwede,” Calzado revealed. (My schedule freed up, but then they already offered it to somebody else. That person suddenly was not available.)

Calzado is playing Caridad, the protective mom of Heaven Peralejo’s Julie character, and who also has schizophrenia. Because of the responsibilities suddenly passed on to her, Julie begins to resent her sick mother until Esther (Shamaine Centenera) came to her life and became her other mom.

“It was almost like I was the letter-sender and I could understand what the letter-sender went through in some ways,” Calzado said.

Iza Calzado featured — Image: Instagram/@missizacalzado

While the condition of Calzado’s character differs from that of her own mom (her departed mother had bipolar syndrome), for her, acting the part “became just a choice also of making sure that [we get to show that condition] and make it human, to humanize what they are going through, what the family has to go through.”

Calzado believes the episode is important and that it allows artists like her “to serve [their] purpose not only as actors but as mental health advocates.”

“Maalaala Mo Kaya” is streamed every Saturday, 8:30 p.m. on the Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live YouTube channel, ABS-CBN Entertainment Facebook page and iWantTFC. For viewers outside the Philippines, it can be watched on the The Filipino Channel on cable and IPTV. JB

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