Without a doubt, the life story of businessman Dennis Anthony Uy is a compelling narrative.
Born June 1, 1966, to a poor family in Fukien (now Fujian), China, who considered being able to eat one meal a day a blessing, the Uy family moved to the Philippines in 1977 in search of opportunity.
Uy was 11 years old at the time, and communicating with locals was next to impossible because he could neither speak English nor Tagalog. With the help of an uncle, Uy found his first job as a cold storage handyman at a supermarket in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Now 58, Uy was estimated by Forbes in 2020 to have accumulated assets estimated at $650 million, making him the Philippines’ 22nd-richest person.
He is the founder of Angeles City-based Converge ICT Solutions, a major player in the Philippine internet service provider market.
He graduated from Holy Angel University with a degree in electrical engineering in 1992.
His business acumen manifested while he was still in high school. He sold Betamax and VHS tapes, which he procured from Greenhills in San Juan, Metro Manila.
Uy later set up the Angeles City Cable and Television Network, a cable television provider that caters to the Central Luzon market.
Soon, he expanded into the broadband and fiber optics platform with ComClark Network and Technology Corp., the forerunner of Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc.
In 2021, Uy became a board member of Silicon Valley–based firm Axiado Corp.
In 2023, President Marcos named him special envoy to South Korea for digital transformation. That, in a nutshell, is Uy’s incredible rags-to-riches biographical journey.
As a member of Malacañang’s extraordinary league of technocrats, Dennis called for stronger collaboration between the technology sector and the government to explore the potential of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and hyperconnectivity in the Philippines.
Addressing the Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E), he underscored that only through a united effort can the Philippines cope with global technological developments.
Dennis said the Philippines lagged in AI adoption and automation. “While other countries are racing ahead with AI and automation, we are struggling to keep pace. Technology is not slowing down — and we need to catch up fast,” he said.
He emphasized the imperatives of modernizing the country’s technological infrastructure.
Uy also highlighted the critical role of AI and emerging technologies in the global economy.
“AI and emerging technologies will be the currency of the future. To stay competitive globally, we must ensure that the right infrastructure is in place, strong governance and regulatory frameworks are implemented, and every Filipino is upskilled so they can excel in this new digital era,” he said.
He pushed for the establishment of a sovereign cloud infrastructure to ensure that Filipino data remains within the country’s borders, providing greater control over privacy and security.
