THE all-female Philippine pop group called BINI has figured in the latest notable list issued by Forbes — the “30 Under 30 Asia,” which recognizes notable individuals under 30 years old in the field of AI and entertainment.
The list includes individuals with significant contributions or influence not only in AI, but also consumer & enterprise technology; entertainment & sports; finance & venture capital; healthcare & science; industry, manufacturing & energy; retail & ecommerce; social impact; social media, marketing & advertising and the Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink).
The magazine, which became known for its respected list of billionaires from around the world, said BINI is the only girl group to make it into this year’s Asia list for the entertainment and sports category.
The BINI members are Gweneth Apuli (Gwen), 21; Maraiah Queen Arceta (Aiah), 23; Sheena Mae Catacutan, 20; Mikhaela Janna Lim (Mikha), 21; Mary Loi Yues Ricalde (Maloi), 22; Jhoanna Chritine Robles, 20; Stacey Aubrey Sevilleja, 21; and Nicolette Vergara (Colet), 23.
Forbes took note of BINI’s huge impact on the Philippine music scene and its milestones since it launched its first album in 2021, under the ABS-CBN management.
Forbes said the girl group’s songs have resonated with the Filipino youth as these delve into themes of resilience, empowerment and aspirations for love, career success, personal
fulfillment and social advancement.
The social media accounts of the eight women have drawn millions of views and followers due to the authentic ways the women present their lives to their fans, Forbes said.
“Our posts show who we really are… and that’s one reason our fans like us,” BINI member Aiah Arceta was quoted as saying in the Forbes article.
It also helped that their rise to the top from their humble beginnings as children of middle-to-low-income families and the long hours of training and living together in the tough K-Pop style of grooming talents, have inspired their millions of fans too, Forbes said.
It said the octet’s title track “Born to Win,” a catchy, memorable tune about empowerment from its debut album, has so far racked up over 100 million streams on Spotify since 2021.
BINI has been unstoppable since its Spotify debut, staging sold-out concerts in the Philippines’ biggest concert venues such as the Araneta Coliseum and the 50,000-seater Philippine Arena in 2024 and early 2025.
Also last year, BINI was named the Best Asia Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards and Billboard K Power 100’s Voices of Asia award at a Seoul event. Last March, Billboard Philippines named the BINI Eight its Women of the Year after their songs exceeded a billion streams on Spotify.
BINI’s “Pantropiko,” which means “tropical,” has so far drawn 105 million views, while “Salamin, Salamin,” or “Mirror, Mirror,” has been viewed over 84 million times since its 2024 launch, both on YouTube.
Rana Wehbe Watson, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia editor and Forbes Asia editorial director, said this year’s landmark 10th edition celebrates “a decade of exceptional talent and innovation by highlighting a new generation of entrepreneurs and young leaders who exemplify resilience and creativity as they battle tougher business conditions.”
“Many are using AI to refine their value propositions and attract investors in fields including healthcare and finance. Others are building niche businesses aimed at a local customer base as uncertainty looms over global trade,” she said.
Other talents highlighted in the list are: Jin Kim, 28, cofounder, LinqAlpha for AI; Hu Yao-chieh and Hang Meng-tse, 28 and 29, cofounders, Turing Space
for consumer & enterprise technology; Gaby Rosenberg, 28, cofounder, Blossom App for finance & venture capital; Jia Haojun, 27, cofounder, Deep Principle for healthcare & science; Yi Gang, 27, founder, Ti5 Robot Technology for industry, manufacturing & energy; Anshita Mehrotra, 25, founder, Fix My Curls for retail & ecommerce; Manu Chopra, 29, cofounder, Karya for social impact; Woo Qiyun, 27, content creator for social media, marketing & advertising; and Ardy Ferguson, 29, chef for The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink).
Forbes said the 2025 list features a diverse set of talented and successful individuals, with 20 countries and territories represented across the Asia-Pacific region.
India had the most with 94 entries, followed by Australia (32), China (30), Japan (25), and South Korea (23).
Singapore and Indonesia each had 19 entries.
The people included in the list were selected from thousands of online submissions, as well as recommendations from industry sources and list alumni.
“More than 4,500 candidates were 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 and industry impact, product-market fit, inventiveness and potential,” Forbes said.
All final listers must be 29 or younger as of Dec. 31, 2024.
