Meet the Filipinos in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 2024 list
Filipinos who made it on the list include content creators and a rapper
MANILA, Philippines – Four Filipinos made it to the inaugural Forbes 30 Under 30, which recognizes young individuals under 30 years old for their contributions and achievements in various industries.
Get to know them and their stories of success here:
Arshie Larga
If you’re on TikTok a lot, you’d recognize Ramon Christian “Arshie” Larga for his comical skits about medicine use.
A licensed pharmacist who works in his family’s pharmacy in Marinduque, Arshie has four million followers on TikTok.
He goes beyond funny videos and even started fundraising efforts to pay pharmaceutical bills of customers who can’t afford them. He also debunks disinformation about medicine.
In 2023, he was recognized by TikTok Philippines as best educational content creator.
Abigail Marquez
Another TikTok content creator, Abigail Marquez is known for promoting Filipino cuisine and culture.
Crowned as the “Lumpia Queen,” she has over 3 million followers. She was a trained chef before moving into videography.
In 2023, or less than two years on TikTok, she was recognized as the platform’s creator of the year for food.
Amanda Cua
Amanda Cua is the founder of Backscoop, a free newsletter on Southeast Asia’s startup scene.
Forbes said her content and One More Scoop podcast help startup founders find investors.
Cua describes her newsletter as a “fun and easy” way to stay updated in the Southeast Asian tech and business scene.
Ez Mil
Ezekiel Miller, popularly known as Ez Mil, is a rapper who has caught the attention of the likes of Dr. Dre and Eminem.
Forbes said that even though the rap legends couldn’t understand Filipino, Ez Mil’s “Up Down” and “Panalo” was enough to get him noticed. Eminem even went on to perform on Ez Mil’s 2023 album “DU4LI7Y: REDUX.”
Ez Mil was born in Olongapo and is now based in Las Vegas.
Forbes’ selection process
Forbes tasked its reporters and editors to comb through thousands of online submissions, as well as tap industry sources and list alumni for recommendations.
“Candidates are evaluated by the Forbes Asia team and a panel of independent, expert judges on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) funding and/or revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness and potential. All final listers must be 29 or younger as of December 31, 2023,” Forbes said.
Other notable individuals making it in the prestigious list are Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind, who was recently crowned winner of Rupaul’s Drag Race; Thai actor Vachirawit “Bright” Chivaaree; and Japanese astronaut candidate Ayu Yoneda.
Check out Forbes’ full 30 Under 30 Asia list here. – Rappler.com