MEGA needed more than a vision—it needed a leader. With no publishing experience to her name, Yap questioned whether she could take on the role of Editor-in-Chief. But it was her magazine, and with that clarity, she claimed the title herself. To bring the publication to life, she called on Liza Ilarde to shape its editorial direction and later succeed her as Editor-in-Chief. Lorraine Belmonte was tapped to lead visual storytelling and art direction. Together, Yap, Ilarde, and Belmonte became a formidable trio that would leave a lasting imprint on Philippine fashion media. In February 1992, MEGA debuted its maiden issue with model Gerone Olorisimo on the cover—a bold beginning to Yap’s enduring legacy.

The months that followed were marked by mounting challenges. Though MEGA had successfully released its maiden issue—and followed it with covers that began to shape a new voice in Philippine publishing—sustaining the magazine financially proved far more complex. Printing costs were steep, production demands were high, and the promise inscribed on every spine carried real weight. Without advertisers, how could the magazine continue?

Yap believed the answer lay in content—make it exceptional, place it where audiences would see it, and the advertisers would come. She was right. MEGA soon transitioned from its humble beginnings—a makeshift office on a former chicken farm, reliant on a lone telephone at a nearby sari-sari store—to a real headquarters equipped with proper tools and staffed, in part, by role-playing necessity. Yap recalled the quiet triumph in hearing a fax tone—it meant a purchase order was coming through. In time, it became routine. And so began her second legacy: transforming photographs and prose into a business defined by excellence and conviction.

MEGA became known for producing the thickest magazines in the country: volumes where editorial content and advertising stood in equal measure. Yet beyond milestones marked and stories told, it always came down to the reader whose perspective is ever evolving. As audiences changed, so did the company she built from the ground up. “We will change and lead if need be,” Yap once said—a belief that continues to shape the legacy she left behind.

Yap continued to expand the boundaries of what was possible. Beyond publishing, she envisioned reaching a broader audience—one that extended across platforms and borders. Championing local creatives was central to her vision. As she completed her print portfolio, she was already imagining Filipino products and talent competing on the global stage, alongside television programs and fashion documentaries. In 1994, she launched the MEGA Young Designers Competition (YDC), a platform created to spotlight emerging fashion designers and give them the stage to showcase their skill, creativity, and ambition.

The MEGA Young Designers Competition, widely regarded as the most prestigious platform for emerging fashion designers in the country, came out Long before televised design competitions like Project Runway. Esteemed figures such as Josie Natori, French Vogue editor Annie Flanders, and Harper’s Bazaar and V Magazine’s Stephen Gan helped identify young creatives whose work blended local identity with international relevance. Among its alumni were names that would go on to define contemporary Filipino fashion: Furne One, Rajo Laurel, Mich Dulce, Ivarluski Aseron, Chris Diaz, and Gian Romano. In time, YDC reached an even wider audience when it was adapted into a television show aired on cable, expanding its influence well beyond the page.

In 2001, MEGA deepened its commitment to Filipino fashion with the launch of the MEGA Fashion Awards—a platform created to honor both established icons and emerging voices shaping the industry. The event recognized excellence across fashion and beauty, celebrating the contributions of visionaries such as Inno Sotto, Cesar Lupo, Cecile Zamora, Jun de Leon, Henri Calayag, Patrick Rosas, Borgy Manotoc, Jo Ann Bitagcol, and Diether Ocampo.

By 2011, Yap sought to shift the spotlight beyond designers—to the photographers, makeup artists, fashion stylists, hair stylists, and models who brought every vision to life. This led to the launch of MEGA Fashion Crew (MFC), a televised competition she hosted alongside designer Avel Bacudio and perennial style muse Raya Mananquil. Years later, many of its contestants remain among the industry’s brightest, including photographers Niko Villegas, Dookie Ducay, and Jerick Sanchez; stylist turned writer Angelo Ramirez de Cartagena; makeup artists Jelly Eugenio and Amanda Padilla; hair stylist Katchie Mejias; and models Monika Sta. Maria and Chelsea Robato. Together with over 160 other MFC alumni, they continue to shape and define the creative landscape today.

Her global ambitions extended beyond media and television. Determined to celebrate Filipinos making an impact both abroad and at home, she partnered with Tim Yap to launch one of MEGA’s signature events—the annual MEGA Pinoy Pride Ball. Designed as a world-class gathering, the event brought together Yap and her 200-strong team to honor trailblazers across industries: designers, inventors, journalists, bloggers, musicians, and more. In the years that followed, One MEGA Group would continue this spirit of unity and national pride through the #NewPH photo campaign—an Independence Day initiative inviting Filipinos to make a personal pledge toward a better, stronger Philippines.

Since its inception, One MEGA Group has built a legacy of elevating Filipino talent, launching influential media titles, and creating platforms that reflect local ambition and identity. Through it all, the formula for success has remained the same: creation driven by passion. This steady conviction continues to shape the company’s evolution, guided by authenticity and a deep understanding of its audience.