Famous Filipino Women

Bella Poarch is a Filipino-American singer and social media influencer. She is best known for posting videos on TikTok. She came into prominence in 2021, when one of her TikTok videos hit 49 million likes, making it the most liked video on the platform. The same year, Bella Poarch released her debut single titled Build a Bitch. 

Pia Wurtzbach is a Filipino-German beauty queen who participated in the 64th Miss Universe pageant where she was crowned Miss Universe 2015. Wurtzbach is also a model, actress, and TV personality; she had to quit her showbusiness career temporarily to participate in the beauty pageant. She is also an advocate for gender equality and works towards raising awareness of HIV.

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.

Famous for her baby-face and youthful skin, the South Korean singer and actress is a celebrity not just in her country, but also in the Philippines. Despite her humble beginning, Sandara Park rose to prominence as a singing sensation with a number of chart-topping songs. She also featured in television shows and movies and is considered as a trendsetter.

Born Charice Pempengco, Filipino singer Jake Zyrus came out as lesbian in 2013 and then as transgender later, changing his name in 2017 and going through a chest reconstruction and hormone treatment. Jake had grown up supporting his family by performing and later struck gold with the single Pyramid.

Nadine Lustre is a Filipina actress, music video director, and singer best known for her portrayal of Eya Rodriguez in the 2014 romantic comedy film, Diary ng Panget. One of the most decorated Filipina celebrities, Lustre has won several prestigious awards, such as the Young Critics Circle award, Asian Academy Creative Award, Myx Music Awards, and Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award.

Marian Rivera is a Spanish-Filipino model and actress. She is known for playing important roles in TV series like Marimar, Amaya, and Temptation of Wife. Apart from winning awards for her acting skills, Rivera has also been named FHM Magazine's Sexiest Woman on a couple of occasions. Also known for her philanthropic efforts, Marian Rivera often participates in fundraising campaigns.

Bea Alonzo is a Filipina model, actress, and former singer. Widely regarded as one of Asia's biggest stars,Bea Alonzo has won many prestigious awards for her skills as an actress. In 2016, she was adjudged Movie Actress of the Year at the 32nd PMPC Star Awards for Movies for playing Basha Belinda Eugenio-Gonzales in the 2015 film, A Second Chance.

Maine Mendoza is a Filipino television personality and actress. She is best known for playing Yaya Dub in the popular TV variety show, Eat Bulaga! Over the years, Maine Mendoza has won several awards, such as the Metro Manila Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress, which she won for her performance in the 2015 movie My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore.

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.

Filipina actor Maja Salvador became a household name with her award-winning role in the film Thelma. The series Wildflower and The Killer Bride catapulted her to international fame. In 2018, she rekindled her romance with her long-lost boyfriend of her 20s, Rambo Nunez. She now owns a talent company.

Known for her legal expertise and her resolve to fight corruption, Miriam Defensor Santiago also became the first Filipina and the first from an Asian developing country to serve as a judge of the International Criminal Court. The senator was also a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient and died of lung cancer.

Andrea Brillantes is a Filipina actress and recording artist best known for her leading role in the TV series Annaliza. She started acting as a child and first appeared in the children's comedy show Goin' Bulilit. As a young woman, she has acted in dramas and fantasies, portraying versatile roles. She has received one Urduja Heritage Film Award. 

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.

Kim Chiu is a Filipino model, actress, singer, dancer, host, and vlogger. Nicknamed the Multimedia Idol, Chiu has achieved immense popularity in the Philippines. Regarded as one of the most popular actresses for her generation, Chiu is also counted among the highest grossing stars of the 2010s decade. She is also one of the most decorated performers of her generation.

Julia Montes was raised by her deaf Filipina mother after her German father abandoned them. Julia began modeling at 5 and later soared to fame with series such as Mara Clara and films such as A Moment in Time. She has lately been rumored to be dating Coco Martin.

Regine Velasquez is a Filipina singer, record producer, and actress. Renowned for her belting technique and vocal range, Velasquez is counted among the most influential personalities in Philippine popular culture. She is the best-selling Filipino musician of all time as she has sold over seven million records so far. Regine Velasquez is also credited with influencing several other performers.  

Hidilyn Diaz is a Filipino airwoman and weightlifter. She achieved national fame in 2020, when she became the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold for the Philippines. Hidilyn Diaz earned her first Olympic medal in 2016, when she won a silver medal in Rio de Janeiro. She has also won medals at the World Championships and Asian Championships.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is a Filipino politician and academic. From 2001 to 2010, Arroyo served as the president of the Philippines. Before serving as the president, Arroyo served as a senator and as the vice president of the Philippines. She later served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2018 to 2019.

Filipina-French celebrity Solenn Heussaff dons many hats, and is an actor, a designer, a singer, and a make-up artist at the same time. Known for her appearances in films such as Temptation Island and series such as Survivor Philippines: Celebrity Showdown, she is also an animal lover and owns two tortoises.

Filipina actor-singer Kyline Alcantara was catapulted to fame by series such as Kambal, Karibal and Inagaw na Bituin. The teen sensation had initially gained popularity with her musical.ly clips and her YouTube videos. Her performances have also won her honors such as the Asian Acadaemy Creative Award.

Gabbi Garcia is a Filipino recording artist and actress. Best known for her association with the GMA Network, Gabbi Garcia has played important roles in TV series, such as Encantadia and Let The Love Begin. Over the years, she has also won many prestigious awards like Urduja Heritage Film Award and Golden TV Screen Award.

Alex Eala is a Filipino professional tennis player best known for winning the US Open Junior title in 2022. Eala first achieved popularity in 2020, when she won the Australian Open Junior Doubles title. The following year, Alex Eala won the French Open Junior Doubles title. In 2021, she also won three bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Games. 

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.

Fe del Mundo was a Filipina paediatrician who achieved international recognition in 1977 when she was honored with the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. In 1980, she was named National Scientist of the Philippines, becoming the first woman to be named so. Del Mundo is credited with founding Philippines' first pediatric hospital.

Jessica Seinfeld, wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, is best known for her first cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, which became a New York Times bestseller. She also owns the charity GOOD+ Foundation, which helps the needy in New York, and the culinary website Do it Delicious, which teaches cooking to beginners.

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.

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.

Before being adopted by iconic Filipino actors Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, Grace Poe was found as an infant in front of a cathedral in Iloilo city. She grew up to be a politician and senator of the Philippines. She has previously also chaired the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.