RODOLFO VILLARICA, who is called the “Father of the Philippine Internet,” gave a very interesting speech last night during the Philippine Internet Commerce Society’s 5th National E-Commerce Congress and Exhibit, which was also a celebration of the 13th anniversary of the Internet in the Philippines.

Villarica recounted the chain of events that eventually launched the Philippines into cyberspace, and paid tribute to two individuals who gave invaluable support but whom he had previously failed to acknowledge for their role in making this dream a reality.

Villarica also hailed the efforts of the late Ricardo Gloria, the former education secretary who played a key role in bringing the Internet to the Philippines.

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HERE’S an INQUIRER.net Video clip of VMV Hypoallergenics CEO Laura Verallo de Bertotto shares how her company used the Web to expand its business in a presentation at the Philippine Internet Commerce Society’s 5th National E-Commerce Congress and Exhibit.

LAWYER Claro Parlade, who is a senior partner at Parlade Hildawa Parlade & Eco and executive director of the Cyberspace Policy Center for Asia Pacific, talks about the impact of technology on franchising at the Philippine Internet Commerce Society’s 5th National E-Commerce Congress and Exhibit.

Here’s a clip from INQUIRER.net Videos:

UPDATED: I forgot to mention that this event also commemorates the 13th anniversary of the Internet in the Philippines, heh

I’M blogging now from Dusit Hotel at the Philippine Internet Commerce Society’s 5th National E-Commerce Congress and Exhibit.
I was the moderator for the “making ‘e’ work for your business”session, which featured presentations from Divisoria.com co-founder and CEO Monching Romano; lawyer Claro Parlade, who is a senior partner at Parlade Hildawa Parlade & Eco and executive director of the Cyberspace Policy Center for Asia Pacific; and VMV Hypoallergenics CEO Laura Verallo de Bertotto.

Basically, I asked Monching, Claro and Laura questions, asked them to expound on the impact of technology on businesses, and shared a few laughs, while also asking audience members to throw questions. It was a pretty informative bull session, ranging from serious stuff to lighthearted asides.

Here’s a clip from the INQUIRER.net Videos channel on YouTube of Monching Romano sharing his experience in setting up Divisoria.com.