The video released by the Philippine Development Foundation which tells the inspiring life story of Diosdado “Dado” Banatao, has won the hearts of many Filipinos.
Mr Banatao who hailed from Iguig, Cagayan Valley started from humble beginnings and rose to become one of the most respected Filipino engineer and technopreneur known worldwide.
He studied elementary in Malabbac Elementary School, walking barefoot at times. Then he spent his high school years in Ateneo de Tuguerarao. He took up his Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering in Mapua Institute of Technology and his Masters in Engineering in Standford University.
Mr Banatao worked as a design engineer for Boeing 747 in the 1960’s before he found success as an technopreneur. Yes, he was like one of the millions OFW pinoys na nakipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa. Today, one of the companies he founded is the well-respected NGO Philippine Development (PhilDev) Foundation, which is helping a lot of deserving but poor Filipino students with interest in science and technology to continue their education.
Diosdado “Dado” Banatao is best remembered as the one who made the first PC chipset, a technology we still use today in PC machines.
To know more about his life, check this interview he did with Uday Kapoor last August 15,2013 in Mountain Valley, California for the Computer History Museum. ORAL HISTORY OF DIOSDADO “Dado” BANATAO
For more inspiration, watch this viral video produced by PhilDev Foundation about the life and work of Dado Banatao. You can also read the transcript of the video below.
Mabuhay Engineer Dado Banatao!
“Dado Banatao was born the son of a farmer in the rural Philippines. He grew up in poverty, without shoes or access to electricity.
In the 1980s, Dado’s innovations helped usher in the era of the personal computer. He pioneered the PC chipset and graphics acceleration architecture that continue to be two of the foundation technologies in every PC today. Along the way, Dado founded three companies: S3, Chips & Technologies and Mostron.”
This is his story.
– from the PhilDev Foundation Facebook page
PhilDev Foundation Dado Banatao Video Transcript
My name is Dado Banatao. I come from the north. My father was a farmer, I am an enginneer.
I grew up in a typical barrio in Cagayan Valley. Back then there was no electricity, no telephones. I was taught math by moving bamboo sticks.
There were no luxuries. Almost all of my classmates stop goign to school after six grades, to help in the fields. But my father never ask me to help him, he wanted a better life for me.
He made it clear, his job was to put food int he table, my job was to study.
I went to highschool far frm my home.I felt inferior to the other students, they were from the city. I was a son of a farmer. When my friends played basketball, I studied. I fell in love with engineering, I wanted to build things. But when I gradiuated from MAPUA there where no design jobs for engineer in the Philippines so I moved to America.
I applied for a masters in engineering at Stanford University. I was excited but I was also so intimidated. Everyone seemed smarter than I was, so I studied twice as hard.
I saw an opportunity to design better computer chips, and I started a company. That company failed, no one told me that I could do it. I ahve to tell myself that I could so I tried it again. This time we succeeded.
My success is a direct result of my beginnings. It is the same will and determination that every Filipino possesses. Our country is one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, but over thirty percent of our people still lived like I did growing up. But my life shows a different path is possible. It is why I started PhilDev, we imagine a Philippines where every school has internet. Where deserving students are given scholarships so they never have to stop learning. Where thousands of young Filipinos starts companies that hire millions more.
We know hardship, it’s time we learn success.
I am not so special, but I am determined. My story could be your story, as Filipinos it must be our story.
~~~
Mr Banatao worked as a Pinoy OFW in the United States, and eventually started successful companies. May the message of hope and inspiration reach more Filipinos especially those who are working abroad, away from their families.
May his story touch your heart too. And may more Filipinos achieve great success and not forget to give back to the country.
To support PhilDev’s mission of helping the Filipino youth or know more about their programs, please visit PhilDev’s website.
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