Seven Filipinos under the age of 29 have made it to the 2024 Forbes’ Asia’s 30 Under 30 List with over 300 artists, entrepreneurs and educators featured alongside them.
Forbes released the list for 30 Under 30 Asia Master Class which was divided under ten categories; 1) Arts 2) Entertainment and Sports 3) Finance and Venture Capital 4) Media, Marketing, and Advertising 5) Retail and e-Commerce 6) Enterprise Technology 7) Industry, Manufacturing and Energy 8) Healthcare and Science 9) Social Impact 10) Consumer Technology.
The selection process involves Forbes’ reporters and editors selecting candidates from 4,000 online submissions, and industry and alumni recommendation for the list. Candidates went through an evaluation process from Forbes Asia and a panel of independent judges in their respective expertise.
The main criteria for listers is that they should be 29 years or younger as of December 31, 2023.
Here are seven Filipinos who made it to the list of honorees:
1. Ramon Christian Larga (27, Content Creator)
Mostly known by his nickname, Arshie Larga, Arshie has been using TikTok as his platform to educate audiences about safe medicine in a funny and convincing way while also sharing his experiences with various types of customers.
With 4 million followers on TikTok, Arshie is also a licensed pharmacist, working at his family’s pharmacy in Marinduque. Aspiring to become a ‘parmasiyotikong Pilipino na may puso,’ he uses his following to start fundraising to pay for the pharmaceutical bills of customers who can’t afford them.
He was previously awarded TikTok Philippines’ Best Education Content Creator in 2023.
2. Abigail Marquez (23, Content Creator)
Known as the Lumpia Queen, Abigail Marquez or Abi is not just popular to netizens for bringing in delicious recipes, she also incorporates the country’s culture in every recipe she shares.
She decided to move to videography and run her own cooking channel in TikTok with 3 million followers after training as a chef. After being on TikTok for only 2 years, she won TikTok’s Creator of the Year for Food award in 2023 and recently won the People’s Voice Award in the General Social – Food & Drink category in the 2024 Webby Awards.
3. Amanda Cua (21, Founder of BackScoop)
Entering the realm of tech and startup news in Southeast Asia with a drive for staying updated, Amanda Cua established BackScoop, a complimentary daily newsletter designed to keep readers informed about all things related to Southeast Asian business and startups.
Her podcast, along with collaborations with fellow creators, has attracted investors for numerous startup ventures. She has conducted interviews with both investors and founders and has also been featured in an interview by CNN.
4. Ezekiel Miller (25, Rapper)
Ezekiel Miller or popularly known as Ez Mil made it under the category of Entertainment and Sports. His rapping talents have caught the attention of legendary rappers, take note that the lyrics of his music is Filipino.
After getting wide recognition with his track “Panalo”, that brings his reflection towards Philippine nationalism, his success was followed with another hit track “Up Down” that leads to his collaboration with Eminem.
Coming from a musical family, Ez Mil was born in Olongapo and is currently based in Las Vegas.
5. Chia Amisola (23, Artist)
At a young age of 16 in 2016, Chia Amisola founded Developh, a ‘nonprofit community that seeks to promote the use of technology as a tool for liberation rather than oppression.’ Developh manages the Philippine Internet Archive, which aims to ‘safeguard digital creations, movements, cultures, and artwork, while also engaging in new media arts’.
Her work was recognized by publications such as the New Yorker and Frieze, with exhibitions held in Berlin, San Francisco, London, Manila, and Toronto.
6. Mikaela Helene Reyes (29, Parallax Cofounder)
Mika Reyes, co-founder of the Manila-based cross-border payment startup Parallax, started the company in 2023 following a period as a freelancer, during which she encountered difficulties in receiving payments from abroad.
Parallax simplifies and reduces the cost of transferring money globally through cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Initially focusing on users in the Philippines, the company now serves customers spanning over 150 countries. In September, Parallax secured $4.5 million in seed funding through a round led by Dragonfly Capital.
7. Joshua Serafin (28, Artist)
A Filipino artist based in Brussels, Belgium, Joshua Serafin has been invited as a participant to the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024. Serafin blends dance, music, and theater into live performances, often delving into themes of cultural identity, migration, and LGBTQ+ representation.
Serafin is a permanent house artist at the Viernulvier arts center in Belgium and has performed internationally, including at the ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival in Finland, TONO Festival in Mexico, and the HAU Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin. Publications such as L’Officiel and ArtReview have also previously featured Serafin.
