10/04/2024
TODAY IN BRUT HISTORY: 30 years ago, on March 29, 1994, the Philippines' first connection to the Internet was made at the Ramon Cojuangco Building (PLDT Building) in Makati. It was done by then Comnet's engineer Benjie Tan using a Cisco 7000 router from the Department of Science and Technology which he delivered and reassembled at the site. He successfully received data at 1:15 am that day from Sprint Communications based in the US.
Three decades later, the Philippines has over 86 million active internet users with 73.4 percent of the population using social media.
In 2022, the Ramon Cojuangco Building was the subject of a notice from the NCCA to delist the structure from the Important Cultural Property list, a stature it holds from being a work of National Artist Leandro Locsin. Brutalist Pilipinas, with guidance from the Heritage Conservation Society, wrote a 23-page position paper outlining RCB's historical and architectural significance. A decision is yet to be made by the NCCA.
You may download the full document here: https://bit.ly/RCBBrutPH
Ramon Cojuangco Building, Makati Avenue corner Dela Rosa Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City, Metro Manila, 1982 by Leandro V. Locsin and Partners
Sourced from: Jayvee Fernandez, "30 years ago, at 1:15AM, Benjie Tan connected the Philippines to the Internet", philstartech.com, March 29, 2024 and Simon Kemp, "Digital 2024, The Philippines", datareportal.com, February 21, 2024
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