Who are the 25 wealthiest women in the Philippines?

Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.  — Og Mandino

Philippine STAR  reader Nunca Valderama tweeted me on Oct. 31: “Who is the richest woman in the Philippines? You listed Mercedes Zobel McMicking as the richest woman in the Philippines years ago. She’s gone, who replaced her?”

I made an informal survey of several tycoons and a dozen topnotch bankers to come up with this list:

1. Imelda Romualdez Marcos — The indefatigable, controversial and also charismatic “Iron Butterfly” and now congresswoman claims her husband was already rich from trading gold before rising to power, while her critics accuse her of ill-gotten wealth. Cosmopolitan magazine in December 1975 ranked her as one of the world’s top 10 richest women and speculated that Imelda might be the richest in the world and wealthier than even Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

2. Cynthia Aguilar Villar — A business alumna of the University of the Philippines and an MBA graduate of New York University, she is the business partner of self-made realty tycoon Senator Manny Villar. The hardworking and humble Cynthia is scion of the Aguilar political clan of Las Piñas.

3. Imelda O. Cojuangco — The philanthropist widow of the late Ramon Cojuangco increased her cash hoard from the sale of PLDT stocks to First Pacific in the Erap Estrada administration; Imelda Marcos claims the PLDT stocks were actually theirs.

4. Katherine Tan — The wife and top business confidant of the Philippines’ third richest billionaire Andrew Tan, who founded Alliance Global, Megaworld and Emperador Brandy.

5. Bea Zobel — Wife of Ayala conglomerate patriarch Jaime Zobel de Ayala, she is a philanthropist who has helped tribal minority people in Mindoro and other civic and culture causes.

6. Gretchen O. Cojuangco — Wife of San Miguel boss Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., an art lover and a philanthropist, she told me her family has donated to restore or rebuild various Catholic churches in the provinces from Tarlac to Negros.

7. Fredesvinda Almeda-Consunji — Wife of construction, realty and mining tycoon David Consunji. Her sister Angelita is also the wife of top contractor Felipe F. Cruz.

8. Beatrice Dee Campos — Widow of the late immigrant self-made “Pharmaceuticals King” and Unilab founder Jose Yao Campos. She is also a daughter of the late lumber tycoon and Chinese community leader Dee Hong Lue.

9. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo — Former president of the Philippines, economics professor and wife of controversial lawyer Mike Tuazon Arroyo. Many people claim she should be in the top five wealthiest, but I want to err on the side of caution due to raging controversies and unsettled questions regarding her fortune.

10. Felicidad Tan Sy — She is the humble and deeply religious wife of SM Group founder Henry Sy Sr. Her younger brother Dr. Paulino Y. Tan used to be a top official of De La Salle University, and helps the Sy family run Asia Pacific College as its president. Felicidad is said to be the reason SM malls hold Catholic Masses every Sunday.

11. Helen Yuchengco Dee — One of the most talented businesswomen in the Philippines, she is the eldest child of RCBC and Malayan Insurance boss Alfonso Yuchengco and the late Paz SyCip. Her husband is respected banker Peter S. Dee of Chinabank.

12. Mercedes Tan Gotianun — Wife and business partner of Filinvest Group founder Andrew Gotianun, her maternal grandfather Vicente Gotamco was a pre-war lumber tycoon and Chinese community leader. She is a UP summa cum laude graduate.

13. Mercedes Zobel — Daughter of the late Ayala conglomerate boss Enrique Zobel.

14. Susana “Chuchu” Abad Santos Madrigal-Eduque — heiress of the late Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal-Collantes, her family supports the NGO Habitat for Humanity.

15. Ana Maria Gizela “Ging” Madrigal Gonzalez-Montinola — heiress of the late Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal-Collantes, a lawyer and wife of BPI President Aurelio “Gigi” Montinola III.

16. Socorro Cancio Ramos — Legendary entrepreneur behind the leading National Book Store and Powerbooks chains, as well as matriarch of the Ramos clan in the mining and realty businesses. Her father was a Chinese immigrant who died young.

17. Vicki Belo — A successful doctor, a marketing entrepreneurial whiz who has built up the Belo and Flawless beauty chains, she told me her ancestor was the famous Spanish colonial era Chinese immigrant tycoon Nicasio Chiong Veloso of Cebu.

18. Jinkee Pacquiao — The wife of the world’s top boxing champion and rags-to-riches billionaire Rep. Manny Pacquiao.

19. Vilma Santos Recto — Multi-awarded actress, governor of Batangas province and wife of Senator Ralph Recto. She told me her brush with bankruptcy during her youth had taught her the importance of saving her showbiz earnings and investing wisely.

20. Susan Roces — Movie queen of the past, still active in showbiz and widow of the late “King of Philippine Movies” Fernando Poe, Jr.

21. Sharon Cuneta Pangilinan — The well-read Megastar and wife of Senator Kiko Pangilinan has been one of the top savers and an astute realty investor throughout her over three decades’ success with singing, movie acting and TV hosting.

22. Kris Aquino — One of the biggest earners and possibly the No. 1 most popular celebrity endorser in the Philippines, Kris reportedly could easily earn way beyond P100 million every year with her commercial endorsements alone.

23. Lani Mercado Revilla — Herself a top actress before, Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla is said to be a good money saver and is wife of Senator Bong Revilla.

24. Mother Lily Yu Monteverde — Founder of Regal Films, owner of Imperial Palace Suites and daughter of the late 1950s copra tycoon Domingo Yu Chu, she built her fortune all by herself.

25. Amalia Fuentes — This former movie queen has for decades wisely invested her earnings in prime real estate properties from New Manila in Quezon City, to Makati and all the way to Ayala Alabang in Munitinlupa. This Chinese/German-Spanish Bicolana mestiza told me that during her heyday, the income from each of her movie contracts she would use to buy a house in Dasmariñas Village, Makati.

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