5 Filipinos, PH-based entrepreneur included on Forbes ’30 under 30 Asia’ list

Among those who landed on the roll was 19-year-old social media sensation Bretman Sacayanan, popularly known as Bretman Rock. (Photo: Bretman Rock/Twitter)

Philippines definitely has so many things to be proud of — one of those is that Filipinos are often recognized and appreciated by other countries for their unique talents and hard work.

This can be proven as five Filipinos and a Philippine-based entrepreneur were included on this year’s Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia” list that highlights young innovators and disruptors across diverse region.

The list, with a theme of “Disruption and Innovation,” features 300 young men and women who are “reshaping their industries and changing Asia for the better.”

Among those who landed on the roll was 19-year-old social media sensation Bretman Sacayanan, popularly known as Bretman Rock.

The Hawaii-based vlogger or video blogger has garnered nine million followers on Instagram, 2.6 million followers on Twitter, and 2.8 million subscribers on YouTube for his makeup tutorials as of writing.

Forbes noted that Bretman is known not only for his makeup content, but also for “his often humorous views on life.”

The beauty guru was also named as one of the 30 Most Influential Teens by the Time Magazine in 2017.

Also on the list was Carlo Delantar, the country director of Waves for Water. Forbes said that Carlo’s team helps provide clean water to communities in the Philippines.

“Delantar enlists the help of travelers there to distribute water filtration systems. So far, they have handed out some 10,000 water filters, helping one million Filipinos to access clean water,” it stressed.

Another Filipino national that made it the annual roll was artist Archie Oclos.

According to Forbes, Archie slammed the administration’s war against drugs through his murals, illustrating President Rodrigo Duterte with a crown made of guns, as well as the treatment of indigenous people.

“Oclos keeps his technique simple, often opting for industrial paint and heavy brushstrokes, so viewers could focus on the subjects and message,” it explained.

The 29-year-old pastry chef Miko Aspiras, who co-owns seven concept restaurants and has served in numerous top hotel, was also included.

Stephanie Sy, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of data science startup Thinking Machines, also joined the 300 young innovators and disruptors.

Thinking Machines aims to produce big data and artificial intelligence systems work for humans. One of its remarkable projects was Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app.

The Philippine-based entrepreneur Patrick Lynch, an Irish-native who co-founded financial technology startup First Circle, was also recognized.

First Circle is the first fintech online lending company in the country that provides no-collateral business loans for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Metro Manila.

“First Circle uses available information such as social media, credit, network, and cell-phone data to create credit scores to determine the feasibility of a loan,” the media and publishing company said.

The “30 under 30 Asia” list features 30 honorees in 10 categories namely: the arts; enterprise technology; finance, and venture capital; industry, manufacturing and energy; youngest; media, marketing and advertising; celebrities; big money; retail and e-commerce; consumer technology; entertainment and sports; healthcare and science; and, social entrepreneurs.

The Forbes’ official website stated that these finalists who represent 24 countries in Asia-Pacific, including Azerbaijan and North Korea for the first time, were chosen from thousands of online nominations, researched by their reporters and examined by a panel of expert A-list judges, to ensure that these individuals are worthy of a spot on its reputable list.