REALIZING A DREAM: Mommy’s dream is for her daughter to make it someday as an actress on Broadway. Her kid is only 10 years old.
Slowly but surely, Mommy Irish has been guiding, not goading, little Sheena Bentoy to the right career path.
Noting that her daughter, at age 3, already showed signs of liking music, Irish exposed her to the arts. She enrolled her in music, ballet, modelling lessons.
At such an early age, Sheena loved holding the microphone, pretending she was a singer.
Everything paid off early on. Before she reached age 10, Sheena had landed a role in international musical “The Lion King” (by Disney), which went on tour for a year.
Playing the young Nala, Sheena performed in more than 100 shows throughout Manila, Singapore, Busan, Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong.

Sheena Bentoy

Sheena Bentoy


The young theater actress is an incoming Grade 6 student at Fr. Luigi Caburlotto School in her hometown Amadeo, Cavite.

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STAR OF TVC: The most recent feather on Sheena’s cap is landing the lead in the newest PROMIL Kid TV commercial.
The TVC is set in a stage musical, where Sheena takes center stage, and sets off to fly literally. It seems like a promise of things to come.
Moviegoer had an online conversation with Sheena recently, and here are excerpts from that chat.
Here’s Sheena.
What’s your most unforgettable experience on tour?
“Visiting different countries and meeting different kinds of people made my tour unforgettable.”
Are you excited to go back to school despite the Covid-19 scare? Do you think the school year should be cancelled?
“No, I’m not excited to go back to school. I am in favor of the alternative ways of learning that schools are providing now for their students, so that way we can still learn during pandemic while being safe at home.”

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TAPPING THE RIGHT GIFTS: From the mouth of mothers, here’s our brief chat time with Mommy Irish.
On tapping which gifts to nurture:
The moment I saw Sheena singing with her toy microphone at 3 years old, I knew her musical gift is really something I have to nurture because of how much she enjoys it. She loves performing in front of family and friends, and obviously really loves entertaining people with her gift.
FAMILY TIME: We do a lot of bonding activities together. We create art and sing together, but sometimes I really just enjoy listening to her sing. Sheena’s dad, on the other hand, supports her by giving her sound pieces of advice.

ON REJECTIONS AND CHALENGES: We encountered challenges and rejection throughout this journey, especially when we would take Sheena to auditions before.
We would stand in long queues for hours, and then find out that Sheena didn’t pass her audition. There were also times when Sheena would feel defeated and disheartened, but I would always encourage her to embrace and love the experience because it’s God’s gift to her.
Failures do not mean the end of her journey but rather, a step towards success and learning. I always tell her to learn from it and be strong.

PROUDEST MOMENTS: My proudest moment as a mom was when Sheena won SM Little Stars, and made it to the “Lion King” International Tour! I’m really so proud of her, especially because she still remains humble even after her achievements. I thank God for giving us Sheena.

ADVICE TO OTHER MOMS: First is to build a good and harmonious relationship with their kids. Second, is to join them in their activities.
From there, moms will be able to discover which areas their kids are gifted in, and witness how happy they are when they’re doing those things!
Lastly, as their kids work hard to achieve their dreams, parents must support them all the way. Just enjoy the journey of nurturing the gift.

Source: Manila Bulletin (https://entertainment.mb.com.ph/2020/06/11/moviegoer-10-year-old-disney-star-fears-return-to-school/)