(From left) Alvin Kasiban of Daily Tribune, Allan Rey Tato, Bee Vitug, Rogelio Constantino Medina of Asian Journal Publications, Gelo Gonzales of Rappler and Syrah Vivien Inocencio of TATLER Philippines.
It was nice to see recently Maria C. Banatao, Filipino-American philanthropist , community leader, and co-founder of the Philippine S&T Development Foundation, Inc. (PhilDev), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the Philippines through education, innovation and entrepreneurship, during the PhilDev Annual Fundraiser held on May 23, 2026 at EDSA Shangri-La hotel, with the theme “Celebrating the Legacy of Filipino Excellence” coinciding with the commemoration of the late PhilDev founder Dado Banatao’s birth as well as a book launch in his honor.
Alongside her late husband, Silicon Valley tech visionary Diosdado “Dado” Banatao from Cagayan, Maria has dedicated decades of advancing education, technology, and entrepreneurship for Filipinos both in the Philippines and across the diaspora. She graduated from St. Paul College Manila in 1968 before moving to the US. She later earned a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of Washington.
She met Dado Banatao in Seattle in 1968. Together, they raised three children — Rey, Desi and Tala — while navigating the fast-paced growth of Silicon Valley.
Wrote Dado Banatao’s widow in a foreword of the book “The Dado Banatao Story: A Tale of Two Valleys” by Jamil Maidan Flores: “To our children: the legacy you inherit is not a monument fixed in time. It is a living current, one you are already carrying into your own communities, classrooms, and boardrooms. Cherish it — but above all, make it your own. Add to it your own discoveries, your own acts of generosity, your own leaps of faith.”
That evening at EDSA Shangri-La truly celebrated Dado’s life and his enduring contribution to Filipino innovation with a vision of a prosperous Philippines and enhancement of Filipino talent through supportive, innovation-driven enterprises and collaboratively inclusive and sustainable efforts. The said gala brought together around 200 scholars, beneficiaries, partner institutions, and supporters united by a shared vision of leveraging science, technology, and innovation for nation-building and global impact.
A highlight that night was the recognition of distinguished individuals and organizations whose contributions continue to advance science, technology, innovation and inclusive development in the Philippines.
2026 PhilDev S&T honorees included, as follows: Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Fernando Zobel de Ayala as both recipients of Lifetime Achievement Award; Shell Pilipinas Corporation, Globe Telecom, Inc. and PLDT, Inc. as Companies of the Year Award; Maya Bank, Mylo Speech Buddy and Packworks as Startups of the Year Award; and Jana Quismundo, Leo Villalba, Ivan Nara, Dr. Victor Erwin Jocson and Dr. Noel Peter Tan as Young Innovators of the Year Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors visionary leaders whose enduring contributions have shaped industries, advanced innovation and created lasting impact across generations. The Companies of the Year Award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to innovation, business excellence and national development.
Moreover, the Startups of the Year Award celebrates emerging ventures that are harnessing science and technology to address real-world challenges and create meaningful impact. While the Young Innovators of the Year Award recognizes individuals whose work in science, technology and innovation is creating meaningful impact in communities, industries and society. Through groundbreaking research, transformative ideas and innovative solutions, these honorees represent the promise of a new generation of Filipino leaders driving progress and shaping the future.
For more than 15 years, PhilDev has remained a trusted partner in advancing inclusive development in the Philippines. By the numbers, PhilDev has supported 346 scholars across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, trained over 3,897 students in technopreneurship, and supported 98 startups.
Certainly, PhilDev aims to expand meaningful impact by providing more targeted support to equip the Filipino talent to meet the challenges and seize opportunities that come with AI and the shifting environment.
“And to all those whose lives Dado touched — the engineers he mentored, the colleagues who built with him, the educators and scholars who shared his quest for knowledge, the friends and mentees who found encouragement in his words — this invitation is yours as well. Carry forward not only his vision of innovation, but also his belief that leadership means lifting others up. Let the work you do, the communities you strengthen and serve, and the imaginations you set free become part of the same living current,” continued Maria C. Banatao in a foreword of the book on Dado.
She concluded: “For legacy is not only what we leave behind. It is what continues to grow in the lives we have touched — and in dreams that will carry Dado’s spirit for generations to come.”
