MANILA (UPDATE) — Philippine tennis star Alex Eala and singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo were among those included in the Forbes Asia "30 Under 30" list.
The two young Filipinos were recognized under the Entertainment & Sports category "spotlighting the next generation of talent — on court and the screen."
In the article published by Forbes, Eala shared via an e-mail that "the support has been incredible.”
“Tennis can sometimes feel quiet and serious, so having that energy makes it special,” added Eala, who started playing tennis at age 4.
The Forbes report reads: "A representative for Eala says she was the highest-earning Filipino tennis player of all time last year based on prize money totaling $876,000 while her endorsements, including from Nike, French sports equipment maker Babolat and Philippine food conglomerate NutriAsia, exceeded $1 million and are expected to rise to $3 million this year."
A milestone that made her part of the Forbes list was when she made it to the world’s Top 30 WTA rankings, peaking at World No. 29.
Tabudlo, meanwhile, was named for being " the most-streamed Philippine artist of 2022, according to Spotify figures."
Briefly charting the "Give Me Your Forever" hitmaker's career, Forbes identified him as a former contestant on "The Voice Kids."
"Tabudlo embarked on a Southeast Asia tour in 2024 and signed with Mercury Records under the Universal Music Group in 2025," it added.
Joining Eala and Tabudlo on the list were golfer Shannon Tan, athlete Wu Yanni, and sprinter Gout Gout.
Also named were K-pop groups i-dle, NMIXX, and Cortis, along with Korean dancer-choreographer Leejung Lee, Indonesian girl group no na, and Singaporean artists Regina Song and Iman Fandi.
Other categories
Outside of sports and entertainment, Filipinos were also included in the other 30 Under 30 categories, such as Pauline Dizon and Adrian Jumangit under the Retail and Commerce category.
Dizon and Jumangit were cited for being co-founders of Fan Connection SEA (FanConSEA), which Forbes described as "a fandom-based business that deals with merchandise licensing, bookings and live events."
Also on the list were Martin Joaquin Palaña and Kiyanusch Braun, who co-founded GoRocky, a Philippines-based men's health platform that tackles issues such as erectile dysfunction and hair loss.
Meanwhile, Kharl Christian Yeung was named for founding the Philippines-based pet food company Amico Innovations, where he also serves as chief operating officer.
In the Consumer & Enterprise Technology category, Forbes included Brandon Angelo Wong and Raphael Sevilla, who along with Paul Soliman (who is over 30), co-founded BayaniChain Tech.
The company "builds blockchain systems for governments and companies to improve transparency, secure data and reduce corruption" and has worked with the Department of Budget and Management, according to Forbes.
It also "helped drive legislation in the Philippines promoting blockchain use to safeguard public funds."
Three Filipinos were also included in the Social Impact category: Saje Miguel Molato, Steph Naval and Emmanuel Mirus Ponon.
Molato is the founder of Siklab, a consulting firm aimed at helping "young people become more globally competitive."
Siklab also works "with government, nonprofit and private sector partners on education, skills development and climate programs."
Naval, on the other hand, launched Empath, described as "a social enterprise that provides online counseling, psychotherapy and psychiatric consultations to schools, workplaces and non-profit organizations."
The platform was inspired by Naval's own struggles with mental health during her teenage years.
Poron founded the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network, an organization that encourages Southeast Asian youth to participate in " policy making, peacebuilding and sustainable development" through leadership programs, campaigns and regional dialogues.