In the Philippines during the ‘70s, an era when computer technology was still emerging, a Filipina started to lead a new computer revolution even before graduating from college.
Fast forward to this year, after a trailblazing career, Carolina Esguerra Colborn would be awarded the 2024 Distinguished Alumna for Leadership in Information Technology Development by her alma mater, the University of the Philippines (UP), for her vast contributions to the industry.
Along with 52 alumni awardees in 32 categories from different fields, Colborn received the prestigious award last Aug. 17, 2024 at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City.
Colborn graduated from the UP Diliman in 1971 with Bachelor of Science degree and in 1981 with a Master in Business Administration degree.
The award, Colborn said, is a manifestation of her immense pride and inspiration.
“The award validates my life’s work of ushering the country into the vast benefits of automation. I was glad that my efforts did not die in oblivion, that people still remembered its value, and that I was being recognized even if I was so far away from the Philippines. It was a fitting end to my career in the Philippines. Furthermore, it inspires me to work more at giving back to my alma mater and homeland,” she said.
Prior to this award was a long career in the technology field for Colborn. But even at the start, she already left imprints of innovative spirit that made her a prominent figure in the local IT industry.
“It was 1971. Computer firms were scouting for the talent they could train to lead the new computer revolution. NCR Corporation Philippines was using its E-51 Computer Aptitude Test to screen students in the UP campus. Scoring 100%, I was invited to join the multinational firm long before I graduated,” she recalled.
Colborn was one of the first batch chosen to get global computer training during the start of her profession. After her Neat/3 and Cobol programming training in NCR, she was assigned as a systems representative for clients installing “mainframe” computers, some of the first in the era.
Soon, she would be ushered into roles not yet generally available to women.
“As part of its equal opportunity employer program, IBM Philippines invited me to join them as its first female marketing representative. The company invested in my training through three schools (from technical to marketing) held in Asean countries. Then I was tasked to sell the large mainframes to the CEOs of leading companies,” Colborn said.
After her training in NCR and IBM, Colborn shifted to SGV/Andersen Consulting. The training here, she said, was equivalent to an MBA, but this did not prevent her from finishing her MBA from UP.
This, she said, became her strong foundation for the next assignments she would lead that would eventually define her major contributions to the country.
Among these accomplishments include the promotion and introduction of IT in the country when Colborn was marketing manager of the Institute of Advanced Computer Technology, an spinoff of SGV/Andersen Consulting.
As vice president of the Development Academy of the Philippines, she also led the adoption of pioneering IT applications in government agencies, including the Office of the President.
When she was general manager of MegaLink, she led the launch of the switch that enabled banks to share ATMS, widening the use of electronic banking in the country.
As deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Colborn helped launch its modernization program, changing how it interfaced with taxpayers, thereby reducing opportunities for graft and corruption.
She also introduced enterprise-wide end-to-end applications to the largest corporations in the Philippines, making them globally competitive when she was managing director of SAP Philippines.
“As President and CEO of BayanTrade, a consortium of the six largest conglomerates in the country, we introduced eProcurement in the Philippines. As a pro-bono consultant to the Commission on Elections, we helped define how electoral processes could be automated and proceeded with the first phase of voter registration,” she added.
Colborn said that she was most proud of her consistency in trailblazing IT applications. “I guess I developed the reputation that nothing could stop me and my team, that no obstacle, however difficult, was big enough,” she said.
It is also worthwhile to note that as a result of her enormous contributions in IT, Colborn became a leading figure in the IT associations of the day — the Philippine Computer Society (PCS), the PCS Foundation, the Southeast Asia Computer Confederation, the IT Foundation of the Philippines, and the Knowledge Management Association of the Philippines.
Asked how would she compare the IT industry during her time to the present, she said the industry has changed from being supply-centric (led by hardware and software suppliers like IBM, Microsoft, SAP, etc.) to demand-centric companies powered by technology (services like GCash, distribution like Grab for food, and retail establishments like Shopee or Lazada, etc., and a host of small business start-ups).
“I feel proud that the applications I worked on were viewed as successes, inspiring such other applications to follow,” she said.
Colborn also said that information technology has led the six top economies of the world to 70% of their value-added, although not quite the same yet for smaller economies. IT helps in many ways including job creation, innovation, productivity, e-commerce, and globalization, she said.
“But we have reached a new inflection point. No company will survive without exploiting the benefits of artificial intelligence, the product of large computing power, large knowledge bases, and powerful software. Those IT professionals who do may later emerge with another similar award, ‘Leadership in AI Development,’” she said.
She also emphasized that today’s youth must adopt IT in extensive personal ways to help themselves maximize its practical applications more readily.
“If they are also imbued with entrepreneurial abilities, they can prosper more by investing their talent in start-ups powered by IT and AI technologies. Such exciting times!” she enthused.
After a fulfilling career in the Philippines, Colborn decided to retire in North America where her daughters live. She taught at the University of Central Washington and Seattle Community College. Eventually, she married Bill Colborn, an American businessman, who led her into a life of travel, beginning with eight years of cruising North America. This was the beginning of her newfound passion — travel writing.
She started a blog to document her escapades which became a jump-off point for the publication of her two travel books. Eventually she was invited to write for magazines.
“I loved sharing the lessons I learned, the insights I gained, and the changes that continue to happen in my life,” Colborn said.
In a few years, she is set to publish another book entitled “Let the Dam Burst.”
Indeed, from IT to writing, Colborn continues to leave trails of inspirations.
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Below are excerpts of the email interview with Ms. Carol E. Colborn:
What would you say were the highlights of your career, especially in the IT industry?
All of them [but most especially my stints at Megalink, BIR, and Comelec]. They had the most far-reaching contributions. [Another] highlight was when I was chosen to speak as the Private Sector Representative at the Information Technology Summit convened by [then] Pres. Fidel Ramos in Malacanang.
Who did you consider as your mentors when you started your career in the IT industry?
These people gave me strategic advice and varied perspectives that helped me navigate increasingly complex scenarios.
- Frank Holz (deceased) in the Institute of Advanced Computer Technology. He gave me my first managerial job as a marketing manager. He challenged me to dream big.
- Dr. Bill Torres, Father of the Philippine Internet, who recruited me to replace him at the Development Academy of the Philippines. He led me to imagine how computers could improve government services.
- The CEOs of the founding banks of MegaLink (Ed Espiritu of Philippine National Bank, Ramon Sy of United Coconut Planters Bank, OV Espiritu of Far East Bank and Trust Company, and Tony Go of Equitable Banking Corporation). They invited me to think strategically, gave me the resources to manage a small company, and allowed me to apply leading-edge technology into mainstream banking.
- Commissioner Liwayway Vinzons Charo of the BIR. I was recommended by Bal Endriga of SGV when she asked who in the private sector could help her launch the automation of the Philippine Internal Revenue System. The assignment allowed me to experience leading massive change in a large bureaucracy beset with problems. With an IT workforce of about a thousand people and hundreds of contractors, it was a significantly unique experience.
- Regional Sales Director Terence Yang of SAP. Terence showed me how to work with a regional organization, represent the Philippines in regional concerns, and introduce advanced technology in the Philippines’ business landscape.
- The CEOs of the conglomerates that made up the Board of BayanTrade (Jaime Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Group, Eugenio Lopez of BenPres Holdings, Lance Gokongwei of the JG Summit Group, John Ramon Aboitiz of the Aboitiz Group, Manuel Pangilinan of the PLDT Group, and Josuelito Campos of the Unilab Group). They showed me how to provide stable oversight of a startup in a volatile dot-com era.
What would you say to the young generation embarking on building careers in this industry?
We were compensated well for leading the revolution during our time. The change in the landscape has required that the young generation embrace technology at a faster pace even without the help of sponsoring suppliers like the ones who invested in us.
Somewhat disappointed that I was the only awardee for information technology, I was nevertheless proud that Secretary Ivan Uy of the Department of Information and Communication Technology endorsed my nomination and attended the Awards Ceremony to personally congratulate me.
While this is not the first time that you were awarded and recognized in the IT industry, how do you feel about the 2024 UPAA Distinguished Alumna for Leadership in IT Development?
A former colleague nominated me after I turned 75 in November last year as I was undergoing a difficult period. It cheered me up somehow. We filled up a nomination form, highlighting how I had preeminently distinguished myself as a UP alumnus. We submitted it by the end of March, a week before the April 1 deadline.
A friend and a 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awardee said it showed that I was a true trailblazer and should caption it thus: “Leadership in IT Development (Public and Private)” because my accomplishments were made during an era when computers were starting to make inroads into our industries and government services.
The award required my presence, so I found the best reason to return to the Philippines. I had not been able to visit in the past six years so it was a welcome “bonus prize.”
With family and friends, I revisited Baguio between the President’s Dinner and the Awards Night. The day after the Awards Night, I hosted an Appreciation Party for all the former colleagues without whom I would not have been recognized as a leader in IT development. They paved the way for my work alongside them, welcomed my leadership, and supported me every step of the way. In my invitation, I said, “Thank you for helping me become me.”
After the events, a few friends and I had planned to see Siargao, but unfortunate circumstances intervened. Instead, we had the gift of a staycation at the historic Manila Hotel and a tour of Malacanang.
What made you decide to retire overseas?
The intensity of the career I led, launching groundbreaking national applications one after the other, and the huge responsibility of being a single parent combined to burn me out early.
When my children had established their careers, I decided it was time to pay attention to my personal happiness. At 54, I joined the two who had migrated to North America (US and Canada). They had taken my grandchildren with them!
You maintain a travel blog, published two books on your travels, and contribute to magazines — a totally different aspect from the life you lived as an IT pioneer in the country. How did you find this passion? Tell us more about your experiences as a travel writer.
When I was babysitting in the day and teaching at the university in Washington at night and on weekends, I was lucky enough to find a businessman who courted me and offered marriage. As soon as we did, he led me into a life of travel, beginning with eight years of cruising North America in an RV full-time.
We have visited all 50 American states, 10 Canadian provinces, seven Mexican states, and 46 countries. I started the blog to document our escapades.
The body of work became a jump-off point for two travel books. In time, my writing improved, my experiences matured, and I was invited to write for Travel Awaits, an online travel magazine for the 55+. Some of my writing also found its way to two other magazines.
I loved sharing the lessons I learned, the insights I gained, and the changes that continue to happen in my life.
Are there any more things/stories you want to share to us about your past careers and your present life?
The difficult period I am currently experiencing has led me to start writing a book tentatively titled “Let the Dams Burst”. I hope to publish it in two to three years. It is intended to help and inspire people who find themselves caring for a loved one in difficult circumstances.
