Benjamin "Benjie" Tan: The Man Who Brought the Internet to the Philippines
Benjamin “Benjie” Tan holds a distinguished place in Philippine history as the engineer who first connected the country to the global internet. On March 29, 1994, through his leadership and technical expertise, the Philippines established its very first internet connection bridging the nation to the rest of the world in what would become a defining moment in our digital journey.
At the time, Tan was part of the pioneering team at the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and worked closely with PHNet, an academic and government-led initiative. Their efforts culminated in a 64 kbps link to the United States, marking the Philippines' official entry into the internet age.
Benjie Tan’s contributions went far beyond cables and servers he laid the foundation for a connected Philippines, empowering a generation to learn, grow, and communicate in ways once thought impossible.
He passed away in November 2021, at the age of 61, but his legacy endures in every message sent, every website visited, and every Filipino who connects online. Today, he is remembered not only as an engineer but as a visionary a true pioneer and the father of the Philippine internet.
In his honor, March 29 is now recognized as Philippine Internet Day, a yearly celebration of the nation’s first step into the digital world he helped create.
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