8. SHARON CUNETA, Singer and Actress

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In an industry notorious for the proverbial "15 minutes of fame," the megastar has managed to stay on top of her career for the past 25 years. Sharon has lived out most of her private fortunes and misfortunes in public, a fact that has endeared her even more to fans and ordinary viewers alike. Like FPJ, Sharon's track record of box-office hits and stellar album sales have given her leverage in negotiations with producers, network executives, and advertisers and have earned for her the distinction of the most sought after and highest paid celebrity endorser.

9. GILBERTO DUAVIT JR., Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, GMA

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Jimmy Duavit's name is often confused with his father's: Gualberto Duavit, the congressman who with Jimenez and Gozon bought the then bankrupt Channel 7 from Bob Stewart in the 1970's. The younger Duavit first stepped out of his father's shadow after co-producing the critically acclaimed debut title for GMA films, "Jose Rizal." Despite his youth, Jimmy Duavit is now in charge of developing new programming for the network and overseeing the production of GMA's highly publicized telenovelas - the station's big budget gamble to topple its main rival ABS-CBN from primetime leadership.

10. JOHNNY MANAHAN, Managing Director, ABS-CBN Talent Center

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Johnny Manahan has institutionalized the star-making business by coming up with an idea for a school where boys and girls with dreams of stardom can train to be the next generation of actors, singers, and models. Successful graduates make it to the Star Circle - polished products funneled into the various films and programs of ABS-CBN. Manahan's Center provides the network with a steady stream of talents some of whom, like the late Rico Yan, Claudine Barretto, Jericho Rosales, and Jolina Magdangal, became top-tier stars.

11. DOUGLAS QUIJANO, Talent manager

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Douglas Quijano has a sharp eye for spotting raw and young talent and molding them into screen idols. That's what he did with the likes of Richard Gomez and Jomari Yllana. Quijano is foremost an image-maker, and he uses that experience to carefully shape his talents into sophisticated sex symbols programmed to sell anything from movie tickets to underwear. With the transfer of most of his talents to GMA, he is also actively involved in the conceptualization and casting of programs there.

12. BOY ABUNDA, Host, publicist and talent manager

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As the co-host of the most watched entertainment talk show, you can trust Boy Abunda to create buzz from even the most banal of news items. After all, Abunda is a high profile publicist and generating hype is his business. He is influential because he is what PR specialists call a "connector:" a person who not only knows a lot of people, but even more important than that, knows the right people. True enough, he has no enemies - only contacts - and his Rolodex of clients and friends contains the names of the most powerful politicians and celebrities in the country.

13. LOLIT SOLIS, Host and talent manager

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After the Metro Filmfest Scam of several years ago, many expected Lolit Solis to fade away from showbiz as quickly as her talent, Gabby Concepcion, did. But unlike Concepcion, Solis has managed to weather the storm and leverage her clout to stage a spectacular comeback - signing up A-list stars like Lorna Tolentino, Rudy Fernandez, and Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr. Solis has even capitalized on her notoriety to establish herself as a gossip show host. Lolit Solis has been known to do anything that will advance the careers of her talents. She also sticks to them in good times and bad - which is why those stars keep signing up with her.

14. DEO EDRINAL, Talent manager and program consultant

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Edrinal is among just a handful of talent managers with the power to cast talents in the programs they create. As program consultant for ABS-CBN, he has been able to tailor formats to suit his stable of stars like Kris Aquino, Pops Fernandez, and Diether Ocampo. Though this practice has made his talents happy, it has also raised the eyebrows of his colleagues in the industry. Conflict of interest? No one dares complain. Now that's power.

15. RICKY LO, Entertainment editor, Philippine Star

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Lo is the final word in showbiz gossip and it isn't fact until he confirms it. That's the kind of influence he has over the entertainment community and the general public. He does have his share of misses, but for Lo, even a denial is news. There may be more than 300 showbiz writers in Manila alone, but what sets Lo apart is his ability to connect across classes. Lo has elevated gossip and made it acceptable, even fashionable, to the social elite, and used this clout to command exclusives and scoops from producers, celebrities. and talent managers eager for the attention of his readers.