A Filipino-Canadian media personality is putting the struggles behind success stories in the spotlight with VIV Unfiltered, a Toronto-produced interview show premiering Oct. 4 that explores the setbacks, sacrifices and rebuilding that can come before achievement.

Hosted and created by Viviene dela Cruz, also known as “Queen V,” VIV Unfiltered: Voices Inspiring Victory will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on YouTube, Facebook and Spotify.

Produced by Joshua Legacy Studios, the show centers on one question: “What did they survive before we called them successful?”

“Success stories can inspire us, but struggle stories can identify with us,” dela Cruz said.

“When you hear about their rejection, fear, failures, sacrifices and the day they almost quit, suddenly you may recognize yourself in them.”

The idea grew partly from dela Cruz’s years in media and entertainment, where she learned that what people show publicly can be far different from what they are experiencing privately.

Her own periods of uncertainty and rebuilding also shaped the project. 

Through television, business, events and community work, she said she encountered others carrying struggles that were largely invisible.

Social media can make that divide even wider by emphasizing people’s best moments while leaving their difficulties unseen.

“I wanted to create a space where people could say, ‘This is what really happened. This is what almost broke me. This is what helped me get back up,’” dela Cruz said.

She launched the project in September to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Month, connecting the show’s focus on difficult conversations with a message about seeking hope during challenging periods.

That message also extends to the Filipino-Canadian experiences she hopes to explore.

While there is no single Filipino-Canadian story, dela Cruz said she repeatedly hears about starting over in Canada, separation from loved ones, rebuilding careers, loneliness and financial responsibilities across borders.

Some newcomers arrive with established careers and education but find themselves rebuilding from the beginning. 

At the same time, she said, they may avoid telling relatives back home how difficult the transition has become.

“So people become very good at saying, ‘I’m okay,’” dela Cruz said.

“And sometimes ‘I’m okay’ is carrying an entire story underneath it.”

Those experiences have also influenced how she views the idea of Filipino resilience.

Dela Cruz said she is proud of the resilience found throughout the community but believes celebrating strength should not overshadow the hardship behind it.

“Calling someone strong should never mean we stop asking whether they are tired, hurting or need help,” she said.

“Sometimes we celebrate how well somebody survived without asking what they had to survive in the first place.”

‘The human being behind the résumé’

The show’s pilot features Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State Rechie Valdez. 

For dela Cruz, the conversation reinforced her interest in the person behind the public title and the years that come before recognition.

Rather than focusing only on Valdez’s accomplishments, dela Cruz said she wanted to explore the decisions, sacrifices, perseverance and uncertainty that shaped her journey.

“When someone has accomplished something significant, I’m interested in the human being behind the résumé,” dela Cruz said.

“Who were you before everybody knew your name?”

That approach reflects what she hopes to build through Joshua Legacy Studios, the production company behind the show.

Dela Cruz said she wants the company to become a home for meaningful, faith-centred and purpose-driven stories that offer audiences more than entertainment.

She hopes its projects can leave people with hope, perspective or courage while creating space for voices that may not always have an opportunity to tell their full stories.

Her longer-term vision is for VIV Unfiltered to grow beyond an interview show into a storytelling community that includes future seasons, live conversations, collaborations and community events.

She also hopes its reach will eventually extend beyond Filipino audiences, with conversations about struggle, faith and rebuilding that people from different backgrounds can relate to.

For people currently facing their own difficult chapter, however, dela Cruz hopes the show leaves them with a simpler message.

“Sometimes what feels like a period in your life may only be a comma,” she said.

“Your story may not be over yet.”