Tributes to Dado Banatao pour in: ‘Benchmark for Filipino excellence’
A great man who never thought himself too great for small acts.
This was how mentees and friends in business and technology circles remembered Diosdado “Dado” Banatao, a Filipino American electrical engineer and Silicon Valley veteran. His landmark chip designs helped revolutionize the personal computer (PC) industry and earned him the tag “the Bill Gates of the Philippines.”
Banatao, 79, died peacefully on Christmas Day in the United States after complications from an undisclosed neurological disorder. Widely regarded as the most successful Filipino in global technology, he leaves behind a legacy across engineering, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
In a statement, the Philippine Computer Society said Banatao “stands as a benchmark of what Filipino excellence can achieve when vision, discipline and purpose come together. His legacy will continue to guide our mission to advance computing, empower professionals and build a future-ready Philippines.”
Best known for key semiconductor and computer innovations that helped accelerate the rise of PCs in the late 1980s and 1990s, Banatao later turned to mentoring, investing and expanding access to science and technology education for Filipinos.
Yet for some who knew him, it was Banatao’s humility that often stood out.
Filipino American musician Apl.de.Ap recalled seeing Banatao quietly breaking down cardboard boxes beside recycling bins after a gathering, despite being, as he described it, the “biggest person to ever come out of the Philippines.”
“No matter how big you become, never be too big to do the little things,” Apl.de.Ap wrote.
Ibba Rasul Bernardo, cofounder of the sari-sari store platform Packworks, said Banatao instilled in him the idea that success should be measured in terms of impact.
“He spoke less about success and more about the scale of impact. That Filipino talent was never the problem. Opportunity and access were,” Bernardo wrote. “And that real change does not come from helping one person, but from building pathways that lift an entire generation.”
‘Idol and mentor’
Beyond engineering, Banatao built and backed multiple chip companies (one of which was eventually acquired by Intel) before moving into venture capital. There, he became a mentor to younger entrepreneurs and investors.
Martin Lichauco, country manager for the Philippines at private equity firm Warburg Pincus and a mentee of Banatao, described the late technopreneur as both a visionary and a patriot.
“Not only did we lose the most successful Filipino entrepreneur and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, but we also lost a humble visionary who loved his country, one who championed innovation and the acceleration of science and technology as catalysts for the Philippines to attain global development,” Lichauco wrote.
Asian Institute of Management (AIM) has a business incubator program named after Banatao. The AIM said his influence would endure through the entrepreneurs he inspired.
“Dado’s legacy lives on in the founders he inspired and the ventures they have built,” AIM said. “His enduring belief that Filipino innovators can compete on the world stage will surely inspire generations to come to develop new technologies and solutions that drive inclusive, long-term growth for businesses and societies.”
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Eli Remolona Jr. also paid tribute. He called Banatao an “idol of mine and an icon of Silicon Valley.”
‘Legacy of kindness’
As his influence grew, Banatao increasingly focused on education and youth development in the Philippines, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Together with his wife, Maria, he founded the Philippine Development (PhilDev) Foundation. PhilDev is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships, mentorship and training programs to young Filipinos in both the Philippines and the United States.
In his hometown of Iguig in Cagayan, Malabbac Elementary School remembered Banatao as more than a benefactor.
“He believed in the power of education to transform lives, and he lived that belief through his unwavering support for our school,” the school said.
