Published December 2, 2022, 7:15 AM
Dr. Riza Oben Dormiendo was the multi-awarded CEO of a top manpower placement firm in the Philippines when she realized that there’s more to life than working nonstop. She then retired and pursued her most-treasured dreams and passions.
The mid-50s might seem like a very old age to most people, but Riza was strong enough to climb the country’s highest peak, Mt. Apo, in four days. Riza also travelled a lot and even joined the National Geographic Marathon, finishing her 21K run in 3.5 hours . She was also proclaimed the grand champion in a competition on Argentine tango organized by the Dance Sport Council of the Philippines.
Judging from her track record, one can see that Riza is trained to excel in everything she does. At the age of 56, she achieved her dream of being a beauty queen by being named Mrs. Face of Beauty International 2019. She likewise married a man younger than her, which shows she is an empowered woman with a mind of her own and determined to enjoy life to the fullest.
The latest feather in Riza’s cap is the Best Actress award she received at the first Manila International Fashion Film Competition for her performance in “The Power Of An Icon” directed by Anthony Brillantes.
“The international board of judges, even those coming from Hollywood and Cannes, were unanimous in choosing Riza as Best Actress. We are now working for the showing of her short film in Cannes Film Festival,” announced Bench Bello of the organizer, Ganap International
The film shows Riza in elegant black outfits designed by Nash Leeho. There are other attention-grabbing details like her shoes, hairstyle and jewelry. But we think what’s most riveting is the way Riza uses her eyes to convey a whole lot of different emotions. They’re very expressive.
Riza said “The Power of An Icon is really about me.” She pointed out that the film’s tagline, which she utters towards the end, “It takes courage to be me,” is very suited to her life story.
Riza noted that winning an acting award is a dream come true because “I really wanted to be an actress since I was a little girl.”
She said she treasured the recognition because ” this award is something new and something different from all the other awards I received.”
“I want to be in a movie, kahit extra lang muna. My dream role is to be a contravida. Why? Ang bida namimili ng pelikula pero ang contravida, hindi nawawala sa limelight,” she observed.
Knowing how she means and what she says and strives to attain her goals, it looks like we will be seeing more of Riza more – in films and other projects.
