Famous People Born In Manila

Lea Salonga is a Filipina actress, singer, and columnist. She achieved international fame at the age of 18, when she originated the role of Kim in Miss Saigon, winning the Laurence Olivier Award under the Best Actress in a Musical category. Lea Salonga became the first Asian actress to receive a Tony Award when she reprised the role on Broadway.

Daniel Padilla is a Filipino recording artist and actor. In 2015, Padilla became the first Pinoy artist to receive the Kids' Choice Award under the Global Slime Star category. He has also won several other awards, such as Myx Music Awards and Awit Awards. Also known for his philanthropic efforts, Padilla often participates in charity events.

Heart Evangelista is a Filipina actress, TV host, singer, philanthropist, and socialite. She began working as a model and actress while still in her teens. As a young woman, she continued acting while also establishing herself as a painter. She launched the foundation 'Heart Can' to help children with special needs. She is married to politician Francis Escudero.

Filipino-American journalist and author Maria Ressa is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, an online news website. She was a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN for almost two decades.  A court in Manila found her guilty of cyber libel in 2020. This move was condemned by human rights activists as an attack on press freedom. 

Isabel Preysler is a  Filipina socialite and TV host. As a teenager, she participated in beauty pageants and worked as a model. She later started working as a journalist. An elegant woman, she is considered a fashion icon. Her first husband was Julio Iglesias, a Spanish singer.  Enrique Iglesias and Julio Iglesias Jr. are her sons.

Also known as FPJ and Da King, Fernando Poe Jr. was a popular actor in the Philippines and won 5 FAMAS Best Actor awards. He later stepped into politics as a member of KNP, or the United Opposition. He is also known for testifying against the criminal gangs known as the Big Four.

Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is a Filipino politician and the current president of the Philippines. A prominent political figure, Marcos also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is also currently serving as the Secretary of Agriculture. 

Imelda Marcos is a retired Filipino politician with a controversial history. She became the First Lady of the Philippines in 1965 when her husband, Ferdinand Marcos, became President of the nation. Her family stole billions of dollars from the country’s citizens and lived lavishly. The Marcoses were unseated during the People Power Revolution in February 1986.

Philippine environmental activist and philanthropist Gina Lopez is remembered for her relentless fight against hazardous and destructive mining practices. She had led the ABS-CBN Foundation and had chaired the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. She had also served as the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.

Risa Hontiveros is a Filipino politician, journalist, and community leader. After starting her career as a journalist, Hontiveros went on to establish herself as a prominent political leader and is currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. Over the course of her career, Risa Hontiveros has received several honors, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Neile Adams is a Filipino-American dancer, actress, and singer. Before establishing herself in the American entertainment industry, Adams lived in Manila where she worked as a spy as part of the Philippine resistance movement during the Second World War. She then moved to the USA, where she became a dancer and actress.

Nick Joaquin was a Filipino journalist and writer. He is best remembered for his novels and short stories written in the English language. Counted among the most prominent Filipino writers of all time, Nick Joaquin was the recipient of many prestigious awards such as the National Artist Award and Ramon Magsaysay Award for Literature.

Francis Pangilinan is a Filipino politician, lawyer, and farm owner. He is best known for his service as a Senator of the Philippines on two occasions between 2001 and 2022. Francis Pangilinan is currently serving as the Chairperson of the Liberal Party.

Carlos P. Romulo was a Filipino statesman, diplomat, journalist, soldier, and author. He is best remembered for his service as the Minister of Foreign Affairs on three occasions between 1950 and 1984. Among several other important posts, he also held the office of the Secretary of Education from 1965 to 1967. Romulo was the recipient of numerous honors and awards.

Francis Escudero is a Filipino politician and lawyer. He is best known for his service as the Governor of Sorsogon from 2019 to 2022. He is currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. Francis Escudero has also worked as a lecturer at the University of the Philippines.

Former Filipino senate president Vicente Castelo Sotto III, also known as Tito Sotto or Tito Sen, was also a well-known musician and songwriter who had co-founded the band VST & Co. He had also co-hosted Eat Bulaga! And had represented the Philippine national bowling team in international tournaments.

Jejomar Binay is a Filipino politician and lawyer. He is known for his service as the Vice President of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. He also served as the Mayor of Makati on three occasions between 1986 and 2010. A human rights lawyer, Binay helped establish the Movement for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism, Inc. alongside other human rights lawyers.

Richard Gomez is a Filipino actor, director, television presenter, épée fencer, and politician. He is best known for his service as the Mayor of Ormoc from 2016 to 2022. He achieved popularity as a fencer in 2005, when he won a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games. Gomez has also won many acting honors, including several Gawad Urian Awards.

The 8th vice-president of the Philippines, Salvador Laurel had also served as the country’s 5th prime minister. Initially part of the New Society Movement, he later joined the multi-party UNIDO alliance. A Yale alumnus, he also had a successful career as a lawyer, before he stepped into politics.

Filipino politician Bam Aquino was born into the famous Aquino family that has dominated the political, entertainment, and business sectors of the Philippines. Starting his career as a host and actor, he later became a senator and introduced laws for the development of education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Philippine politician Pedro Paterno was educated in Spain, where he graduated in philosophy and theology. He later became the prime minister of his country. A poet and novelist, too, he eventually became infamous as a traitor after supporting the U.S. and favoring American dominion during the Philippine–American War.

Jose Garcia Villa was a Filipino poet, short story writer, literary critic, and painter. Nicknamed the Comma Poet, Villa is credited with introducing and popularizing the extensive usage of punctuation marks, especially commas, in poems. Over the course of his career, José García Villa received several honors and awards, including the Order of National Artists of the Philippines.

Iconic Philippine singer Rico J. Puno, who was a pioneer of soul music in the Philippines, also popularized the Manila sound genre. He was also one of the first to use Tagalog lyrics. A comedian, host, and actor, too, he later stepped into politics and served as a councilor of Makati’s 1st district.