The Internet's 10 Most Influential Filipinos

Manny Amador

Profile.
Manny Amador, a freelance writer and IT consultant, also owns a small company, magNET Communications, and is into web development, with projects such as the NO.TO.METERING Website (www.iconn.com.ph/magnet/), Heavenly Stitches (www.xstitch.com.ph), and the temporary webpage of the Philippine League for Democratic Telecommunicators, Inc.(PLDTI).

Why he's influential.

The Internet's 10 Most Influential Filipinos     The Survey Manny Amador Jim Ayson Fernando Contreras Joel Disini Willy Gan Ken Ilio William Padolina William Torres Leandro Verceles Jr. Rodolfo Villarica

"I don't like to think of myself as being a bigtime contributor to the Internet industry, but I think that my most relevant action is my work with PLDTI, which is exposing the lies in PLDT's metering scam. We have embarked on a public awareness campaign; files criminal charges against Tonyboy Cojuangco, Simeon Kintanar, and the other former commissioners; and files a motion to intervene in case 97-039 (PLDT's petition for so-called "rate rebalancing")," says Amador.

Visions for the Net.
Amador envisions a "competitive, innovative industry that can male a significant and positive contribution to the economic, intellectual, and even spiritual development of our country," which can be achieved by having ready and affordable access to the Internet and telecommunications facilities.

"In the short term, we will fight tooth and nail against the imposition of mandatory metering on local calls. For the future, however, we intend to work on the dismantling of monopolistic structures in telecommunications and related sectors." He mentions the overhaul of RA 7925 to make it pro-consumer, scraping of the SAS to encourage competition, better anti-monopoly laws, anti-metering laws, and promotion of the wide use of innovative technologies in telecommunications as some of the battles to be faced. He adds, "These may sound like lofty goals for a small organization that doesn't have enough money to place an ad in the papers, but I believe that being on the side of truth and justice brings with it blessings and moral strength."