THE UNSTOPPABLE TIM YAP

There's no stopping Tim Yap. The eventologist (a term he coined and turned it into a decades-long career), host and culture mover has always been known for his great energy, even back in the aughts when he was throwing Manila's biggest, craziest, most creative parties.

- PAM PASTOR

"Those parties were really meant to bring people together and give them a platform to express themselves, to interact, to give birth to ideas that made the scene move and grow. That's what I like to do — connect people."

His parties were unlike any the country had seen. "I would always think, what was Manila not doing and what does it need to do? I had to disrupt things."

That's Yap — a disruptor before disruption became a buzzword, an influencer before social media existed.

Many years later, Yap still has that same energy. No slowing down for him — in fact, he has more on his plate than ever before. His 10-year-old business Yaparazzi Events and PR continues to thrive. He hosts events. He's always traveling. The nightlife complex he built with partners continues to grow. He runs the world's biggest marathons. He's making a theater comeback.

"I really love what I do. While I am alive and kicking, I want to be alive and kicking. Sayang buhay eh, alangan namang itulog ko lang 'to. (It would be a shame to sleep my life away.)"

Life — and living it fully — remains his biggest passion, naysayers be damned.

"In my life, things happen that make me falter but I don't let it stop me.

There have been so many circumstances where people have tried to stop me. I've gone through a lot, but hello, I'm still here. I never really pay attention to them. Because, you know, when I have a goal, I just go straight, straight, straight after it."

He continued, "I realize that in anybody's journey, there will always be people who won't believe you, who will speak ill of you, who will downplay your successes. That's part of it. I just use it as fuel to move forward even more."