Can you even believe that your favorite Filipino celebrity may also be your wealth coach? The Philippines’ biggest stars are not just celebs in their own right, but also business owners, traveling around the world, and one even has a house in Spain! If you want to be rich, you might as well get into showbiz. Here are Toph10’s list of the highest-paid celebrities in the country.
Top 10
Kathryn Bernardo – PHP 850 Million
Let’s start with Bernardo’s endorsements. She’s all over the media, promoting brands such as Colgate, KFC, Century Tuna, Sunsilk, Lazada, Gatorade, BPI, and more. The success of her most recent film, “Hello, Love, Again,” which is historic as the first-ever Pinoy movie that grossed a billion pesos at the box-office, is even adding to her riches.
Top 9
Anne Curtis Smith-Heussaff – PHP 880 Million
Curtis needed to get her biggest break on the ABS-CBN and GMA noontime show, “It’s Showtime” before getting catapulted to even a higher pedestal. She has done TV shows and series before hosting the viral noontime program, but since she did, she has been seen around, endorsing brands and businesses, big and small, such as Jollibee, Red Ribbon, Shopee, Enervon, L’Oréal, GSM Blue, and so much more. But, her own amazing family is her wealth in itself.
Top 8
Aga Muhlach – PHP 990 Million
This is where things get more interesting. “King of Romance-Drama” Muhlach does not have a regular show like Curtis right now on a major TV network, but it’s surprising how he has overtaken her. He has to as this award-winning actor has done several projects from his very first movie in 1975 until today hosting the game show “Tara Game, Agad Agad! Level Up” on Net 25. Quite a brave move for him.
Top 7
Dingdong Dantes – PHP 1 Billion
If you’re not watching his show “Family Feud Philippines,” you may be too busy, but that’s impossible, so you may just be isolating yourself from the rest. This global show is all over social media, and him being chosen to host it even adds to the trend. Dantes was known before simply as a member of a dance group until he was whisked away to glory and fame since he married Marian Rivera. Now, he is the most in-demand leading man in the country.
Top 6
Piolo Pascual – PHP 1.1 Billion
Dantes is going head-to-head with Pascual. If GMA Network has the former, ABS-CBN has the latter, and even if the network has gone off-air, Pascual remains loyal to them. Of course, who would forget about his fan base? You know him as the lead star of “Kahit Isang Saglit,” “Milan,” “Etiquette for Mistresses,” and “Mallari,” among others. He has been paired with several stunning leading ladies, with the most popular ones being Toni Gonzaga, Judy Ann Santos, Sarah Geronimo, and Angelica Panganiban.
Top 5
Bea Alonzo – PHP 1.4 Billion
Alonzo got her biggest break as a support character in the hit TV series of the 2000s, “Pangako Sa ‘Yo.” Her remarkable acting in the show earned her more shows, such as the lead role in “I Love Betty La Fea,” based off from a Colombian TV series. Now, she is one of the most beautiful actresses in the country with her recent major role being in “Start-Up PH,” the Philippines’ version of Koreanovela “Start-Up” after she made a big shift from her home network ABS-CBN to GMA. She also owns a franchise of an international restaurant and has a house in Spain.
Top 4
Sharon Cuneta – PHP 2.5 Billion
There has to be no doubt about this. Even if Cuneta doesn’t have a regular show now, she has surely saved a lot since was a famous child star in the 1970s and 1980s. Her fan base, the Sharonians, knows her progress as a singer and actress. Until today, she has captured younger fans as she is part of trendy shows such as “Your Face Sounds Familiar” and MMFF 2023 movie “Family of Two.”
Top 3
Gretchen Barretto – PHP 2.6 Billion
Barretto is quite a surprise right here. Maybe you’d want to instead see Pia Wurtzbach or Catriona Gray? But, this former actress and now a socialite, the partner of Antonio Cojuangco Jr., the president and CEO of PLDT, is also quite controversial, apart from her fame.
Top 2
Willie Revillame – PHP 4 Billion
Also a controversial Pinoy celebrity, or rather his programs are controversial, but there should be no question why Revillame is a runner-up here. He started with humble beginnings, perhaps a rags-to-riches story, when he rose from being a support character in shows to hosting a globally-renowned Filipino program and even investing in real estate. In his shows, a favorite of the Filipino family, he gives out stacks of cash and his iconic jacket to poor audiences.
Top 1
Manny Pacquiao – PHP 11 Billion
See the huge gap between Pacquiao and Revillame? It should be clear why he is the number one on this Toph10 list as he is a celebrity, a professional boxer, a businessman, and a politician. But, in spite of his wealth, this General Santos native remains humble in his craft.
Did your favorites make the cut? If not, this list is curated by experts who have studied Philippine showbusiness. But maybe your favorites are not too far away. On the following spots are Gloria Romero, Heart Evangelista, Marian Rivera, Alden Richards, and Barbie Forteza. Their successes and wealth serves as inspiration for the Filipino people.
