2008 was an eventful year for the Filipino showbiz industry. Vincent Anthony Garcia aims the spotlight on a few female stars you can keep an eye on in 2009.

Marian Rivera

She was the Queen of Primetime TV in 2008 with back-to-back top-raters in Marimar and Dyesebel and a big splash in movies such as My Best Friend's Girlfriend and One True Love. She was one of the biggest newsmakers of 2008.

Stay tuned: Her dance album achieved platinum status in a fortnight, a new soap with fave partner Dingdong Dantes, and she was declared the sexiest actress by a nationwide poll conducted by FHM Philippines.

Charice Pempengco

After appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and being hailed by Oprah Winfrey as the "most talented girl in the world", the petite international singing sensation continued her meteoric rise to fame. Her star is expected to shine even brighter this year when she releases her first international album under the tutelage of the star and hit-maker David Foster.

Stay tuned: She has already performed with some of the world's best singers — Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and producer Foster — who has worked with A-listers in Hollywood, including Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Madonna and Dion — is said to be so enamoured with Charice's voice he's taking a hands-on approach with the young Pinoy singer's album.

KC Concepcion

Before last year, she was just known as the daughter of megastar Sharon Cuneta. Then she made her movie debut in For the First Time opposite Richard Gutierrez, which was one of the year's biggest hits. This year, she will reunite with Gutierrez for When I Met You, which is set to be released on Valentine's Day and is already becoming one of the most anticipated events in show business.

Stay tuned: Last year she did a drama series, highlighting her versatility and potential as an actress, followed by a self-titled album that achieved gold status within weeks. This year, she will be back with a new TV series, a new single, and is all set to do another movie towards the middle of the year.

Sarah Geronimo

The industry's Pop Princess is the only artist to have achieved four platinum awards in a year, a milestone she achieved last year. More importantly, her debut film, A Very Special Love, is said to be the biggest blockbuster hit of 2008, earning her the title Box Office Queen of 2008.

Stay tuned: Geronimo is set to star in a follow up to A Very Special Love.

Heart Evangelista

She made her biggest move in 2008, switching home studios to become a Kapuso. When she did, the versatile actress, who was predicted to be one of the biggest stars in the business when she started out, immediately had a hit on primetime TV with Asero, opposite Richard Gutierrez. She quickly followed that up with another primetime hit, Luna Mystika, this time on her own, with the able support of another actor who made a successful comeback last year — Mark Anthony Fernandez.

Stay tuned: A movie and an exciting new album is in the works.

By Vincent Anthony Garcia, tabloid! Report

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