2018 Ramon V. del Rosario Awardee Dado Banatao Passes at 79

Diosdado “Dado” Banatao passed away on December 25 at the age of 79 due to complications from a neurological disorder, according to his family. He died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after a prolonged illness that emerged later in his life. His passing came just months before his 80th birthday, marking the close of a life defined by quiet brilliance, perseverance, and service.

Banatao was a 2018 Ramon V. del Rosario Award recipient, an honor organized by JCI Manila in partnership with PHINMA Properties. The award recognizes Filipinos whose leadership and innovation have created enduring impact on society. His recognition stood as a fitting tribute to a man whose work quietly powered the digital age.

Humble Beginnings

A native of Iguig, Cagayan, Banatao was the son of a rice farmer and a housekeeper. He often spoke of growing up poor in a farming town, walking barefoot to school, and holding firmly to the belief that education was his way forward. From these modest beginnings, he graduated cum laude in electrical engineering from Mapúa Institute of Technology, before earning his master’s degree at Stanford University and eventually rising to the heart of Silicon Valley’s technology revolution.

Quick Trivia

• He designed the first single-chip, 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator, a key milestone in the miniaturization of computing.

• He built a computer center at his grade school in Iguig, ensuring children in his hometown had access to digital tools he once lacked.

His Biggest Contribution to Technology

Banatao’s most enduring contribution was making personal computing accessible. Through his breakthroughs in PC system logic chipsets, Ethernet networking, and graphics acceleration, particularly through S3 Graphics, he helped transform computers from expensive, specialized machines into everyday tools used by millions worldwide.

For Asian Pearl, Dado Banatao’s life and his 2018 Ramon V. del Rosario Award remind us that great leadership can rise from the humblest beginnings, and that Filipino innovation continues to leave a lasting mark on the world.