The Sunshine of Our Lives

Sunshine Dizon plays Dorothy Benoit, Baby Mulingtapang-Benoit’s youngest child on the hit sitcom Bahay Mo Ba To. Text by: Yvette U. Tan “My character started out as parang mall rat pero eventually, binigyan siya ng konting responsibility dahil napunta na sa kanya yung flower shop,” Shine says. “She’s kikay na seryoso na weird all rolled into one.” According to Shine, she’s very different from Dorothy, although she shares her character’s cheerful disposition. “Yung pagka-perky and bubbly ni Dorothy, ganun talaga ako in real life. Makulit talaga ako,” she says. Shine loves working on Bahay Mo Ba 'To? . “We’re like a big happy family,” she says about her fellow cast members. After the seriousness of her role as the fiery Sang’gre Pirena in hit fantasy shows Etheria and Encantadia , it’s always good to have a character that’s totally different from her dramatic and sometimes kontrabida roles. “It’s not work!” she laughs. Though her fantaserye taping schedules got a little crazy at times, Shine was still able to keep her commitment to Bahay Mo Ba To, partly because of time well managed, and partly because of her fellow cast members’ support. “Bago matapos ang Encantadia, everyday ang taping tapos Tuesdays lang talaga ang breather ko. Okay naman and everyone here is so supportive of me. Kahit puyat na puyat ako sa Lunes, minsan wala pang tulog, dediretso ako sa (Bahay Mo Ba To) taping and everybody is so supportive. They make a lot of things easier for me,” Shine says. The young actress has nothing but praises for the staff and cast of Bahay Mo Ba To. Having been in showbiz since she was a child, she knows that when a lot of big names get together, there’s bound to be some friction. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened on Bahay Mo Ba To. “Everybody is really giving,” Shine says. “Everybody is helping each other out. Everyone allows each one to shine in their own little moments.” Shine says that the cast doesn’t just act out whatever is in the script. Sometimes, they add their own spin to the dialogue to make their character come alive. Other times, they have their own suggestions when it comes to the storyline or character development. “Nagtutulungan kami. Kapag may napapansin silang (her other cast members) kulang, may isa-suggest.” This sort of openness would not have been possible if the show’s cast and crew weren’t tightly knit to begin with. It’s something that the audience picks up on, and is a big factor of the show’s success. “May bond ang group namin, kaya nagwowork siya talaga for the audiences,” Shine says. -- Text by Yvette U. Tan. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. Sunshine’s fans can catch her on Bahay Mo Ba To every Tuesday right after StarStruck: The Next Level !