Before we were all Zooming, Skyping, and Facetiming like there was no tomorrow, a particular Filipino genius was already on the case. Meet Gregorio Y. Zara, born in Lipa City, Batangas, the man who was video calling before it was cool, or even technically possible!


In the mid-1950s, while most were still figuring out how to use a rotary phone, Zara invented the "two-way television telephone." It was like a video call with more knobs and fewer emojis. This device was so ahead of its time it probably needed a flux capacitor!

But the two-way television telephone was just the tip of the iceberg for Zara. He also invented an induction compass for pilots, a solar-powered water heater, and an airplane engine that ran on alcohol. Talk about a diverse portfolio!

Zara's device was a technological marvel, processing both voice and real-time video signals. It didn't hit the commercial market, probably because people weren't ready to see who they were talking to on the phone. But his invention laid the groundwork for the video conferencing we know and love (or tolerate) today.

Zara wasn't just a one-hit-wonder. This guy was a veritable idea factory, holding patents for 30 devices and equipment. He was also a top scholar, earning the title of valedictorian in both elementary and high school, securing a Mechanical Engineering scholarship at MIT, and graduating summa cum laude with Tres Honorable from the University of Michigan. He was so good at science-ing that the Philippine government gave him the National Scientist Award in 1978.

Zara may have left us in 1978, but his legacy is still very much alive. Every time you video call your friends, family, or colleagues, remember the man who made it all possible. So, here's to Gregorio Y. Zara, the original king of the screen!