MANILA, Philippines – Tennis star Alex Eala joins several other Filipinos in Forbes Magazine’s latest iteration of its “30 Under 30 Asia” list.
The list, which was released on Thursday, May 28, recognizes 300 individuals across the Asia-Pacific region under 30 years old who are pushing the boundaries in their respective fields.
The Forbes Asia team and a panel of experts, including 30 Under 30 alumni, evaluated nearly 4,000 candidates from various sectors to select the members of the list.
Eala headlined the list’s Sports and Entertainment category after making into the Women’s Tennis Association’s Top 30 rankings, climbing as far as World No. 29.
Forbes Magazine highlighted several milestones in Eala’s career, including becoming the first Filipina to beat two Top 10 players during the Miami Open in March and the first to win a Grand Slam singles main-draw match during the US Open in August 2025.
“She capped 2025 by taking the women’s singles title at the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, a first for the Philippines since 1999,” Forbes wrote.
Joining Eala in the Sports and Entertainment category is 24-year-old singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo, who became Spotify’s most streamed Philippine artist in 2022 for his hits Pano and Give Me Your Forever.
Tabudlo was a former contestant on The Voice Kids in 2014 and eventually signed with Mercury Records, under the Universal Music Group, in 2025.
Young Filipino entrepreneurs
Two Filipino pairs were also included in the 30 Under 30 Asia list’s Retail and E-commerce category.
Using their savings, Paulina Dizon and Adrian Jumangit cofounded Fan Connection SEA (FanConSEA), which handles merchandise licensing, bookings, and live events. Founded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, FanConSEA landed key deals such as Penshoppe’s collaboration with Kpop boy band BTS.
Another featured Filipino pair is GoRocky cofounders Kiyanusch Braun and Martin Joaquin Palaña. GoRocky aims to destigmatize men’s health issues such as erectile dysfunction and hair loss. The company has since connected around 30,000 customers to licensed doctors and pharmacies. It also raised $2 million in venture capital funding to expand GoRocky’s scope to include chronic conditions such as obesity and hypertension.
BayaniChain Tech cofounders Brandon Angelo Wong and Raphael Sevilla were featured under the Consumer & Enterprise Technology category. BayaniChain Tech creates blockchain systems for governments and firms to improve transparency and reduce corruption. The company has previously worked with the Department of Budget and Management, and Forbes also noted that the company has helped drive legislation in the Philippines that sought to promote the use of blockchain to safeguard public funds.
Social impact
Meanwhile, three Filipinos also entered the 30 Under 30 Asia list under the social impact category.
Twenty-nine-year-old Saje Miguel Molato founded consulting firm Siklab, which works with government, nonprofit, and private sector partners to help the youth become more globally competitive. Some of Siklab’s projects include the Pathways Fellowship, which equips young founders with the skills needed to build sustainable organizations.
At 28 years old, Steph Naval founded social enterprise Empath, which offers online counseling, psychotherapy and psychiatric consultations to schools, workplaces, and nonprofit organizations.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Emmanuel Mirus Ponon established the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network (AYAN), which encourages the youth from the regional bloc’s members to participate in policy-making, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. – Rappler.com