Staying beautiful is a piece of cake for Shermaine Santiago

She is regular on the hit sitcom Beh Bote Nga, has appeared in television commercials, and has acted alongside Robin Padilla on the big screen, but pretty Shermaine Santiago still walks from home to school.

A graduating Broadcasting major in Centro Escolar University, Sher started singing in hotels and doing lounge performances at 16. Around the same time, she appeared in various commercials and one day decided to try show business. The audition was a success; GMA-7 made her sign an exclusive six-month contract. Guestings in different drama shows followed, plus a regular stint on the youth-oriented variety show Best Frends.

Shermaine’s first taste of showbiz intrigue came when GMA-7 offered her two more shows – Beh Bote Nga and SOP. This triggered catcalls from a few persons who claimed that the little successes she has had have gone to her head.

Practically every showbiz personality has been hurled this invective, and so Sher remained undaunted. She is not stuck-up, staying level-headed and unaffected despite the trappings of being in the limelight. Other aspiring young stars move around wearing ultra dark shades and the ubiquitous baseball cap (so they won’t be recognized), accompanied by throngs of alalays – a’la Hollywood superstars. But Shermaine will thrill at the sight of street-peddled hilaw na mangga and bagoong.

The girl who once dreamed of becoming a newscaster is now seen every Wednesday on Beh Bote Nga, where she plays half of the neighborhood crush ng bayan duo Celine and Dion (the latter played by another young actress OB Miles). Shermaine gets to trade funny antics with Janno Gibbs and Anjo Yllana.

She recalls, "When I was starting out, I was a little on the chubby side. They would teasingly punctuate their punch lines with taba (chubby)." A few pounds and episodes since, she has gotten her ideal figure. She’s not waif thin but regular exercise and a diet of fruits and vegetables have given her curves in the right places.

Shermaine’s beauty regimen is uncomplicated. Apart from occasional derma visits, she strokes ice on her face before putting on make-up and is seen doing the "yelo routine" in between takes. The silky-skinned lady was recently signed up by Rogemson Company as model/endorser of Epiderm-A Whitening Lotion. Alagang Epiderm-A, her creamy complexion graces the product’s full-page print-ads and television advertisement.

Since she was 16, Shermaine has been using Epiderm-A and is loyal to the classic regular variant of the moisturizer. Constant use of the product, she says, has made her skin fairer and softer. The natural extracts in the lotion have helped bring out her skin’s natural radiance.

Rogemson Company Product Manager Raj Romero is happy with Shermaine as their image model because, apart from her gorgeous skin, the girl is so uncomplicated to work with.

Sher takes note of the lessons her veteran co-actors teach her about life in entertainment and life in general. Beh Bote Nga semi-regular Rod Navarro, he of the "mahangin" fame, gives Shermaine advice on how to survive the glamour jungle that is show business: "Trust in your talent, know your responsibilities as an actor and always come well-prepared."

In the longer run, Shermaine still wishes to be a broadcaster and hopes to make a mark in the entertainment industry as a singer/actress, much like her idol Sharon Cuneta.