“Soccer helped me cope, because after I became an amputee, I lost my confidence. That was the time when I really doubted myself. Soccer helped me build my confidence,” she said. Now, the athlete from Cebu is a member of the World Amputee Football Federation.

Iya is part of PLDT and its Smart’s Better Today: Power Move Project, which aims to champion mental health and wellness through sports and features inspiring stories of Filipino para-athletes and coaches who embody the true meaning of persistence, bravery, and mental resilience.