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We all know that Bakekang is pretty in real life, but did you know that she’s single, a chef wannabe, and on a strict diet created by Dingdong Dantes?
We all know that Bakekang is pretty in real life, but did you know that she’s single, a chef wannabe, and on a strict diet created by Dingdong Dantes? Read on to know more about what’s making Sunshine glow even more nowadays. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. Food and passion Shine may have achieved celebrity status, but that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t figured out the ways of the real world. She tried living on her own for a while (she’s now accompanying her mom in their house in White Plains), and Shine admits that despite having a difficult time, she managed to cook, wash her own clothes, and do house chores all on her own; quite a feat, especially when you’re balancing it with a successful and hectic showbiz career. But showbiz aside, Shine actually has a few things up her sleeve, and it doesn’t involve ugly-fying prosthetics or heavy drama. “My number one goal right now is to lose weight – again! I started at 140lbs, and I’m now at 130,” Shine shares. She lost those excess pounds with the help of her Encantadia (2005) co-star Dingdong Dantes, who personally customized her menu! Shine started out with a no-carb diet during her first two weeks, then she eventually switched to saba na saging and kamote. She says that Dingdong follows a similar menu, and that his offer started when they both got to talking about the need to lose excess weight. But even if Shine is lessening her calorie intake, that doesn’t mean that she’s letting go of her passion for food – cooking, to be exact. Every Thursday (Shine’s free time), she usually hangs out in her kitchen and cooks meals for her friends and family. She even prepared an entire meal for Bakekang’s advanced party in Subic! Pasta, two chicken recipes, and a veggie dish especially prepared by Bakekang herself made the party even more memorable. “Gusto ko ng malaking kitchen at malaking kaldero!” says Shine, who obviously treats cooking as a fun and relaxing activity. She tells us of her “kaldero tale,” where she went to Puregold in Subic to buy salt and sugar, only to leave with a gigantic kaldero afterwards. Apparently, kitchen necessities give Shine a sunnier smile. “Ang babaw ng kaligayahan ko!” she says with a laugh. Inspirations “Although I don’t have first hand experience of what is happening to Bakekang, the director is very good at explaining what he wants, so it’s also easy for me,” Shine replies, when asked how she could handle such a dramatic and complex role. She shares that it’s always a good sign when people approach her and say that they’re confused as to what they should feel for Bakekang, because even though they want to pity her, they’re quite irked with her ways as well. “Which is a good sign, because that means that they are moved by what I’m doing.” “Projects like this, madalang lang,” Shine says, referring to her her role as Bakekang. “Even if it’s a mature character, a mother, age is just a number in this business, sa artista lalo na. Mayroon din diyan, matanda ka, pero bagets naman ‘yung role.” Instead of remembering sad memories to make her cry for a scene, her technique for internalizing the role is just that – putting herself in the character’s situation. “Pag narinig na ‘yung ‘Lights, camera, action!’ iba na ako.” And whether she is a feisty fire-princess, a comical character, or a dramatic actress, Shine sees to it “na dapat may difference, hindi pwedeng ganoon pa rin tulad ng nakaraan.” Of all the genres she’s tried since the beginning of her career, Shine says it’s drama that’s closest to her heart. Her least liked role? Comedy. “I have a bad sense of timing, wala pang punch line, natatawa na ako!” Apart from starring in a primetime series, Shine is part of GMA’s KiliTV family as well. In Bahay Mo Ba ‘To? she plays Dorothy Benoit, the youngest Benoit sibling and an ex-mallrat turned domesticated flower shop owner. She cites an experience where she cried at the set of the sitcom because she couldn’t seem to deliver her lines properly. The culprit? Laughing too much! It was when she guested as Pirena, her character in Encantadia, and it reached up to five takes just to finish a scene! Shine says that she usually ends up laughing before the punch line in Bahay, because she’s naturally “bungisngis.” Love and money “I have enough to get by,” is how a humble Shine describes her financial status. For someone who’s been in the business for a long time, “enough” is an understatement, but Shine explains that she’s been investing and saving up because “You’re not always on top. Whatever keeps me in this business – I don’t put it in my head,” she says. Shine invested on some properties and plans to put up her very own restaurant someday. One of her dreams, she says, is to study culinary arts and have an outlet for her love for food. Speaking of love, Shine admits that her last boyfriend was non-showbiz, but she’s single right now. She reasons out that she couldn’t do two things at the same time, and at 23 years old, she has all the time to find the guy who’s really for her. “Pag meron, meron. Pag wala, wala,” she says. But Shine wasn’t at all lonely on the Day of Hearts! “Ang bait ni Lord noong Valentine’s day, may taping ako!” she shares with a wide grin. Bakekang update! Now that Bakekang is nearing its finale (Lupin will be airing very soon!) we asked Shine how she’d prefer her series to end. “Personally, ayokong gumanda siya,” she says. “Mataas na nga lipad niya, paano pa kung gumanda?” Bakekang may be the underdog in the story of her life, but the circumstances that she was thrown in forced her to be selfish, superficial, and materialistic – something that greatly flaws her character, even if she is a victim before anything else. But Shine says that there is a moral in the story, and that a lot of twists will happen, especially towards the month of March. “Noong bagets pa si Bakekang, her drive is sana gumanda siya. Pero looking beyond that, her goal now is for her children to succeed more than herself.” She also says that it is possible for a woman like Bakekang to find true happiness, and whatever that is, we need to keep tuned in for. Don’t miss the last few weeks of this Carlo J. Caparras gem by catching it every weeknight, right after Super Twins!