Show business has its dirty side but unlike other youngsters, Shaina has managed to stay out of controversy, largely because of family.

"My family guides me in everything that I do. Whenever I have problems, I tell them and they support me. I have my sister Vina around, too. Her presence and guidance help me a lot.

"Gossip about my sister really affected our family in a bad way. In a positive light, I think my family has become more open-minded about this industry."

Growing up in a fishbowl has helped Shaina learn a few difficult lessons. "I've learned that to survive in a business like this, you have to enjoy what you're doing. Professionalism is also very important, and my sister always reminds me to keep my feet firmly on the ground."

Summer: School life
School, and everything that comes with it, is a big part of Shaina's life. "In 1998, I landed third place in a swimming competition in our school. There were other awards, too. I was Little Miss Sportsfest and Little Miss Montessori [at Our Lord's Grace Montessori along Commonwealth Avenue.]"

Shaina's parents decided that she attend a regular school, a wise choice because she gets to be treated like everyone else.

"I've been going there since I began studying--they know my situation, although when I was in sixth grade, the students hated me," she says laughing. "But then I didn't mind them. So now I'm normal. I mean, even if you do those [mean] things to me, I won't mind you. You'll just get tired so you might as well stop."

If a career in show business does not work out for her, she would gladly be a pediatrician someday, Shaina says. "I love kids. I want to study in a university here in the Philippines and be a doctor for them someday."

Fall: Happy family
Shaina says that she can feel the cool and crisp mood of fall when she's with her family, a wacky bunch that gets together every week. On those special days, she and Vina cease being showbiz personalities and go back to being their parents' children.

"I have a very loving family; a very supportive family," Shaina says proudly. "We're always together. My mom and dad always go out with my sisters and me. What I am now I owe to my happy childhood. My parents trust me and support me. It's easy for them to understand my situation now because what I'm going through is also what my older sister went through."

"I have confidence in myself because of my family," Shaina adds. "I know that whatever I do now and whatever I will do in the future, they will always be there to help me. I'm just happy to know that they're there for me."