Filipina tennis star Alex Eala leads the list of Filipinos included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2026.
Eala was recognized under the Entertainment & Sports category, which Forbes describes as “the next generation of talent — on court and on screen.”
The publication cited Eala’s historic achievements, including becoming the first Filipina to defeat two Top 10 players at the Miami Open in March 2025 and to win a Grand Slam singles main-draw match at the U.S. Open in August 2025.
In an Instagram post, the 21-year-old said, “Honored to be part of Forbes 30 Under 30, still processing this one!”
Joining Eala in the same category is pop star Zack Tabudlo, who was previously recognized as the most-streamed Filipino artist of 2022 based on Spotify data. He is known for hit songs such as “Pano” and “Give Me Your Forever.”
Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list features 300 individuals under the age of 30, highlighting young entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators across the Asia-Pacific region.
In the Social Impact category, three Filipinos were also recognized: Saje Miguel Molato, Steph Naval, and Emmanuel Mirus Ponon.
Molato founded Siklab, a consulting firm that works with government, non-profit, and private sector partners on education, skills development, and climate programs. Naval is the founder of Empath, which provides online counseling and psychotherapy services to schools, workplaces, and non-government organizations. Ponon, meanwhile, leads the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network, which promotes youth engagement in policymaking and peacebuilding across Southeast Asia.
Other Filipinos on the list include Pauline Dizon and Adrian Jumangit, co-founders of Fan Connection SEA; Kiyanusch Braun and Martin Joaquin Palaña, co-founders of digital platform GoRocky; and Kharl Christian Yeung, co-founder of pet food company Amico Innovations, all under the Retail & E-commerce category.
Brandon Angelo Wong and Raphael Sevilla, co-founders of BayaniChain Tech, were also recognized under the Consumer & Enterprise Technology category for building blockchain systems for governments and companies.
The 2026 list features young leaders from 18 countries and territories across the region. India recorded the highest number of honorees with 78, followed by China with 46 and Japan with 32, while Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea each had 18 entries. — Photo from Alex Eala/Facebook
