From Cagayan Valley to Silicon Valley : ‘Filipino Bill Gates’ Dado Banatao

Summary

This is the inspiring story of D. Bato, a Filipino who grew up in a rural village without electricity and limited resources. Despite the odds, his father encouraged him to focus on his education rather than work in the fields. After earning an engineering degree, D. Bato pursued further studies in America, overcoming challenges and founding a successful company. He shares his vision of empowering future generations of Filipinos through education, technology, and entrepreneurship, believing that every Filipino can achieve success with determination and opportunity.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👩‍👦 The speaker's name is Bato, and he comes from a rural area in the northern Philippines.
• 🌾 His father was a farmer, and he grew up in a place without electricity or telephones.
• 📚 Despite hardships, Bato's father prioritized his education, never asking him to help with farm work.
• 🏫 Most of Bato's classmates stopped studying after sixth grade to work, but he was encouraged to pursue a better life through education.
• 📐 He developed a passion for engineering in high school, feeling inferior to city kids but determined to succeed.
• ✈️ After graduating, Bato moved to the U.S. for better opportunities, pursuing a master's in engineering at Stanford.
• 💻 He faced failure when starting his first company but persisted, eventually succeeding in creating a successful business.
• 🇵🇭 Bato highlights that despite the Philippines being a growing economy, many still live in poverty, similar to how he grew up.
• 🎓 His vision for the future includes improving education, providing scholarships, and encouraging young Filipinos to start companies.
• 💪 Bato emphasizes that his success stems from determination and hard work, inspiring others that they too can achieve success.

Q & A

Who is the speaker and where does he come from?

The speaker is D. Bato, and he comes from the north, specifically from Kagan Valley.

What was the profession of the speaker's father, and how did it influence the speaker's education?

The speaker's father was a farmer. Despite the lack of resources, his father prioritized the speaker’s education and never asked him to help in the fields. He made it clear that his job was to provide food, while the speaker's job was to study.

What challenges did the speaker face during his early education?

The speaker grew up in a rural area with no electricity or telephones, and he was taught math by moving bamboo sticks. Most of his classmates stopped going to school after sixth grade to work in the fields, but he continued his education.

How did the speaker feel when he attended high school, and why?

The speaker felt inferior to his high school classmates because they were from the city, while he was the son of a farmer. This made him feel less confident compared to them.

What was the speaker's motivation for studying engineering?

The speaker fell in love with engineering and wanted to build things. This passion drove him to continue his studies and pursue a career in engineering.

Why did the speaker move to America, and what did he study there?

The speaker moved to America because there were no design jobs for engineers in the Philippines after he graduated. He applied for a master’s degree in engineering at Stanford University.

How did the speaker overcome feelings of intimidation at Stanford University?

The speaker felt intimidated at Stanford because everyone seemed smarter than him. To overcome this, he studied twice as hard to succeed.

What challenge did the speaker face when starting his first company, and what was the outcome?

The speaker's first company, which focused on designing better computer chips, failed. He realized no one told him he could do it, so he had to convince himself to try again.

What is the speaker's perspective on success and failure?

The speaker believes that his success is a direct result of his beginnings, where will and determination played crucial roles. Despite failures, he persisted, ultimately succeeding in his endeavors.

What vision does the speaker have for the future of the Philippines?

The speaker envisions a Philippines where every school has internet, deserving students receive scholarships, and young Filipinos start companies that create jobs for millions. He believes that Filipinos, who know hardship, should now learn success.