Malaya was born in Dolores, Quezon, Philippines. She moved to Manila in 1976 and San Pedro City, Laguna, in 1988, before moving to Canada in November 1997.  Before coming to Canada, she worked as Municipal Budget Officer and Accountant for the City of San Pedro, Laguna while working as a part-time professor at Perpetual Help College in Binan, Laguna.

Malaya is a seasoned tax professional, a certified public accountant, and a member of CPA Ontario. She is currently working at Scotia Bank as Senior Manager – Sales Tax. Previously, she worked at MD Financial Management as Senior Tax Consultant, Export Development Canada as Senior Financial Analyst – Taxation, Canada Revenue Agency as Auditor, and Lord Elgin Hotel as Comptroller.

She is currently a member of the Catholic Women’s League of St. Maurice Ottawa Parish, a former Treasurer of the Royal Ottawa Volunteer Association, and a former Accountant of the Blessed Sacrament Parish.