Top 5 Richest and Influential Actresses in the Philippines

In the Philippines, there is a widespread belief that only ten percent of its total population are rich. The rest are poor. To measure how rich a certain politician, the law requires every officer and employee of the government whether elected or appointed to submit a statement of assets and liabilities and net worth every year. Net worth is equal to assets minus liabilities. It is profitable to be famous. Thereby, entering showbiz is one of the guaranteed ways to become a member of that elusive group - the elite ten percent. To know who are the richest personalities in showbiz with political power, we will concomitantly figure out a rough estimate of their net worth. Here is my list of the richest and influential actresses in the Philippines.

1. Sharon Cuneta (P1 billion)

       Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan, better known as Sharon Cuneta, is a Filipino singer, actress and TV host. She has starred in 53 films, 10 television shows, and recorded 40 albums. Her popularity has translated into the field of advertising, where she is the highest paid Filipino celebrity endorser. On November 22, 2011, following months of speculation, her move to TV5 was made official by signing a P1 billion contract with the Kapatid Network – the highest ever paid to a Filipino artist. She parted ways with ABS-CBN, her home network of 24 years, on a cordial note. Her daily afternoon talk show Sharon: Kasama Mo, Kapatid premiered on May 14, 2012, and has been called an engaging program that aims to entertain and to inspire. In 2013, she returned to television with her very first comedy series in her 35 year career as an entertainer entitled, Madam Chairman, which premiered in October 2013 on TV5. Her father Pablo Cuneta was a former mayor of Pasay City and her spouse Kiko Pangilinan was a former senator of the Philippines.

2. Vilma Santos (P500M)

       Vilma Santos-Recto (born November 3, 1953) commonly known as Ate Vi is a Filipino actress and politician. She is known as the Star for all Seasons for her various roles in different genres of her movies and holds the titles of Grand Slam Queen and as the longest reigning box office queen of Philippine cinema. She is a politician, currently serving as Governor of Batangas and once as mayor of Lipa City. She has lots of houses even in Tagaytay Highlands and Ayala Alabang.

3. Kris Aquino (P400M)

        Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (born February 14, 1971 in Quezon City, Philippines), commonly known as Kris Aquino, is a Filipina television personality and actress who gained prominence from her talk shows, game shows, and numerous endorsements. Her first movie was Pido Dida, Sabay Tayo, which earned her the status of box office queen, as did her 2004 films Feng Shui and So... Happy Together. Her movie Sukob was the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2006. She is also the executive editor of her own bimonthly magazine called K! The Kris Aquino Magazine. In December 2009, she showcased her own home collection called K Everyday. In partnership with ABS-CBN Licensing, K Everyday features cooking, kitchen, plastic, and stationery collections. Currently, she is a member of the ABS-CBN Broadcast Network. Aside from her already lucrative TV and movie career, she owns and manages several businesses. She is the youngest daughter of former Philippine senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., and Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, who served as the 11th President of the Philippines, and sister of Benigno S. Aquino, III, the current president of the Philippines.

4. Lucy Torres (P180M)

        Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez or more commonly known as Lucy Torres and Lucy Torres-Gomez is a Filipina actress, model, television host and Representative-elect of the 4th District of Leyte. She was born on December 11, 1974, in Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines to Manuel “Manoling” Torres, Jr. and Julie Martinez. Her family owned several hectares of land in the province. She is of German, Spanish, Chinese, and native Malay descent. She attended elementary and high school at St. Peter's College in Ormoc City. In college, she studied at the University of the Philippines Cebu where she graduated with a degree in Business Management.

5. Lani Mercado (P160M)

       Lani Mercado-Revilla (born Jesusa Victoria Hernandez-Bautista on April 13, 1968) is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the 2nd District of Cavite, which comprises only the city of Bacoor. She is also an actress. She is married to actor and Senator Bong Revilla. In June 2012, Representative Torres sponsored an amendment to the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009. The proposed amendment revises the provisions rendering a time for breastfeeding babies during work hours. Breastfeeding mothers would no longer be paid for time spent breastfeeding as they are under the current Milk Code, provided the breaks do not exceed 40 minutes during an eight-hour work period.