The Philippine S&T Development Foundation honored several startups and innovators at its 2026 gala fundraiser held on May 23 in Manila.
The event marked what would have been the 80th birthday of the group’s late founder, Diosdado “Dado” Banatao. A book titled A Tale of Two Valleys, which details his journey from Cagayan Valley to Silicon Valley, was also launched.
Maria Banatao, the founder’s widow, spoke about the organization’s purpose. She said the goal was “to help build pathways” for future generations.
Startups Mylo, Packworks and Maya Bank received awards. Mylo developed an app for children with speech delays. Packworks supports more than 200,000 sari-sari stores. Maya Bank was recognized for expanding digital financial services.
Other honorees included scholars Jana Quismundo, Leo Villalba of mHycro, Ivan Nara of KoolGear, Dr. Victor Erwin Jocson and Dr. Noel Peter Tan. To date, PhilDev has supported 377 scholars and 98 startups.
