“Para akong nanalo sa lotto, hahahaha!”
This was how pharmacist and content creator Arshie Larga reacted after learning of his inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2024.
The influencer on Thursday shared a photo of him giving his followers a finger heart gesture with a matching expression.
“Hindi ako mapakali. Sinisikmura ako pero ‘di ako makakain, parang ‘di ako gutom. Para akong nanalo sa lotto, hahahaha!” he wrote on the X (formerly Twitter) platform on May 16.
“Hindi ko man po kayo mapasalamatan isa-isa, pero nababasa ko po lahat ng inyong pagbati. MARAMING SALAMAT PO!!!” Arshie added.
Hindi ako mapakali. Sinisikmura ako pero di ako makakain parang di ako gutom. Para akong nanalo sa lotto hahahaha!
Hindi ko man po kayo mapasalamatan isa-isa, pero nababasa ko po lahat ng inyong pagbati. MARAMING SALAMAT PO!!! pic.twitter.com/QeBDbq4wdv
— Arshie Larga (@Arshiethromycin) May 16, 2024
The content creator also released a short video where he shared that the notification from Forbes was one of his most anticipated emails this year.
“Until now, speechless pa rin po ako. As in, pagkagising ko kaninang umaga, ito agad ‘yung bumungad na email sa’kin kaya sobrang ganda ng gising ko,” Arshie said on May 16.
“Pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang mafe-feel ko. But I just wanna say, unang-una, maraming salamat sa taong nag-nominate sa akin for this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia. Kung sino ka man, maraming, maraming salamat po for the nomination,” he added.
Wala akong masabi kundi MARAMING MARAMING SALAMAT PO! Salamat po Lord! pic.twitter.com/UL2AFOdNNq
— Arshie Larga (@Arshiethromycin) May 16, 2024
Arshie was included in the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2024 list for the Media, Marketing and Advertising category.
Forbes said people in the certain category feature individuals who are “defining and driving the ever-shifting world of news and content.”
Arshie was described as a content creator who “is teaching about safe medicine use in a funny, compelling way.”
“The licensed pharmacist, who works in his family’s pharmacy in the island province of Marinduque, has attracted nearly 4 million followers on TikTok with videos sharing his experiences and explaining how an ethical pharmacist helps take care of customers,” his profile said.
“He has started fundraising through social media, using the proceeds to pay the pharmaceutical bills of customers who can’t afford them. In 2023, Larga won TikTok Philippines’ award for best educational content creator,” Forbes added.
Arshie is known for sharing medical and healthcare information online, as well as debunking health myths with his “Let me explain” tagline on his videos.
He started creating content during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of educating people when the public had limited means to consult healthcare professionals.
Back then, people had to do teleconsultations via video calls, chats or even through text messages. Physically seeing a doctor was challenging due to the threat of the virus, especially when vaccines were not yet developed.
Arshie also said he started creating digital content to dispel the notion that licensed professionals like pharmacists are only drug sellers or those who dispense medicines to people.
RELATED: The pharmacist is in: Why Arshie Larga became a content creator
Other Filipinos who made it into Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2024 are artists Chia Amisola and Joshua Serafin, BackScoop founder Amanda Cua, content creator Abigail Marquez, rapper Ezekiel “Ez Mil” Miller, and Parallax cofounder Mikaela Reyes.
Forbes said those on the list are “entrepreneurs, artists, and changemakers” who are “leading the transformation of their industries and inspiring their generation” in the Asia-Pacific region under the age of 30.
“In an ever-changing world, Asia-Pacific’s young entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways to navigate new business realities in the region and lead the transformation of various industries,” it said.
Those on the list were chosen from over 4,000 candidates who were evaluated by the Forbes Asia team and a panel of independent judges on factors like funding and revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness and potential.