Liza Diño: Acting is an extension of myself

MANILA, Philippines - It was November of last year when US-based Liza Diño was reported to have won the sole acting award in the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) 2011 for her exemplary performance in Hubo Productions’ Compound, directed by Will Fredo.

This year, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) named her as one of its Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honors) awardees. That’s why, Liza purposely flew in from the US three Fridays ago to personally receive the award at the Malacañang Palace. The awarding ceremonies took place recently during NCCA’s Ani ng Sining Awards and Recognition Night. Liza, one of the 32 awardees, has been cited in the field of cinema. Other awardees were Lea Salonga, Boy Abunda, Jericho Rosales, Jeffrey Jeturian and Auraeus Solito.

NCCA’s Ani ng Dangal gives recognition to Filipino artists who won top international honors in the previous year and made significant contributions to Philippine culture and arts particularly in music, dance, cinema, literary arts, visual arts, dramatic arts and architecture.

Liza expresses delight at the acting recognitions given to her that, according to her, validate her being an actress. The IFFM award, she says, came as a surprise. Her name had to be called twice for her to come up onstage because it took her awhile to realize that she had won the lone acting citation against 38 other nominees from all over the world.

“I didn’t even know that there was an acting award that they were gonna give out. I was just informed to attend,” Liza says. “It’s a great feeling to be validated as an actress in the international scene. I feel like it’s something I can give back to the Philippines and to the Filipinos, nakakataba ng puso.”

For those not in the know, the former beauty queen (2001 Mutya ng Pilipinas runner-up) had done indie films and appeared in movies before she decided to move to the US in 2008 to start and raise a family of her own. She is now a mother to three-year-old daughter Amara.

Liza receives her Ani ng Dangal trophy from Malacañang Deputy Executive Secretary Michael Frederick Musngi while National Artist Eddie Romero looks on.

“When I left, I was at the point wherein I was ready to take on (another) stage of my life and that is to build a family. So I went there and life turned out to be quite different, I thought I can no longer act.”

Liza concentrated on shaping a “new life” in California. She took a course at Le Cordon Bleu of Culinary Arts in LA. After taking her internship at Spago in Beverly Hills owned by famous Chef Wolfgang Puck, Liza was eventually hired and is presently working as line cook who is in-charge of the preparation of appetizers, soups and salads.

But it seems Liza can’t totally detach herself from the klieg lights. She grabs every acting opportunity coming her way, therefore, juggling acting, cooking and doing mommy duties at the same time. She starred as Imelda Marcos in the short film Imelda and Gunter in 2009 which was shown in some film fests in the US. She has also shot commercials for KCAL Insurance and 24/7 debit card with Manny Pacquiao. At present, Liza is also the spokesperson for Miss Philippines-USA.

“Ever since, I’ve always wanted to act. Acting is such a craft for me. I never wish to be famous, kahit dito nga hindi ako ganun kasikat, I just continuously work. I just love to act. It’s an extension of myself. And to be given that (award) you never expected is such great gratification. It also feels good that once in a while I get to come back and shoot a movie here,” says Liza, a Speech Communication graduate of UP.