Dance choreographer, stage director, and TV producer Lito Calzado expressed dissatisfaction with the way network giant GMA 7 is handling his daughter Iza’s career.

In an interview, Calzado lamented what he felt is the network’s apparent neglect of his daughter, noting how the latter haven’t had a regular work assignment for more than six months already.

Although he admits his daughter is still seemingly happy with the occasional stint in the weekend noontime show, “Party Pilipinas,” the elder Calzado hopes the network would work out a more productive career plan for his daughter.

Calzado insisted he is not meddling but just concerned with his daughter’s career.

“As much as possible, I don’t want to approach management and say, ‘What’s up?’ I don’t like that. I’m not the type who’d knock on someone’s door and say, ‘Hey, give me something to do. No.

“[But] sometimes I just ask, ‘What now?’ but nobody, it seems, is willing to answer [my question].”

So far, Calzado said, all he hears from GMA nowadays are talks.

He has heard of talks for two new regular shows for his daughter: a drama show and a dance show. He also heard of plans to revive “Encantadia,” with Iza on the lead, but sadly, all of these remained just that, talks.

Asked about any updates on these shows, Calzado said, “Nothing.”

“You inquire about it (projects) from [GMA] people from down the ranks and above, you’ll only get one answer: ‘Let’s talk about it some other time.'”

Calzado admitted his frustrations with his daughter’s career get him emotional sometimes, but he often just has to suppress his feelings.

"There are moments when I wanted to confront [GMA] management. That’s true. But I hold my emotions back. I feel like, ‘Hey, wait a minute, I might be doing the wrong thing here.’”

Calzado said he is willing to wait for his daughter’s sake but that he is hoping GMA management would act soon.

“I am willing to wait because of her (Iza), but if she says, ‘Dad, there’s nothing happening with my career.’ Then, that’s the time I will make my move.”

"In any case, what I told them is that, I couldn’t wait for another year [of Iza doing nothing]. I really can’t. I mean what I say.”

“In one year, if nothing happens to my daughter’s career…it’s like, me, I can go anywhere, any station, because my credibility is good, one hundred percent.”

Calzado revealed that they’ve received “feelers” from other stations including channels 2 and 5.

“Some of my friends, who are already there (TV5), are asking for Iza’s availability, [but] I always tell them, 'Not yet,'” he divulged.

“Channel 2 also offered us a contract and for a few times already, but I didn’t accept it,” he added.

Does this mean he is already mulling over alternative career options for Iza out of GMA? Calzado’s answer was vague. "I can’t say we’re not leaving, I can’t say we are going to stay here (GMA) or if we will transfer [into another network], but there are times...,” he trailed.

Calzado insisted that GMA still has his full trust and confidence, but made it clear that he is hoping the network would also extend the same to his daughter.

“The thing is, I hope they’d (GMA) remember that Iza was one of the first actresses they signed to a contract. Maybe they’re forgetting that,” he shared.