I Met Maria Banatao

By Oggie Medina

It was nice to see recently Maria Banatao, Filipino-American philanthropist , community leader, and co-founder of the Philippine Development Foundation during the PhilDev Annual Fundraiser held on May 23, 2026 at EDSA Shangri-La hotel.

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.

That evening at EDSA Shangri-La coincided with the commemoration of PhilDev founder Dado’s birth and the launch of a book, “The Dado Banatao Story: A Tale of Two Valleys”, celebrating his life and enduring contribution to Filipino innovation.

The said gala brought together around 200 scholars, beneficiaries, partners, and supporters united by a shared vision of leveraging science, technology, and innovation for nation-building.

I also saw Asian Journal Publications publisher Roger Oriel, and my former editor Chit Lijauco who is now the managing editor of Philippine TATLER magazine.

Thanks too to Bee Vitug and Allan Rey Tato, both of PhilDev as well as to my new friends Syrah Vivien Inocencio of TATLER Philippines, Alvin Kasiban of Daily Tribune, Gelo Gonzales of Rappler and Kenneth Stern of Ayala Foundation.