The first computer virus in the Philippines is known as the "ILOVEYOU" virus, also referred to as the "Love Bug" or "Loveletter" virus. It was created by a Filipino computer programmer named Onel de Guzman, who incorporated the virus into the source code he submitted for his final thesis while studying as an undergraduate computer student at the AMA Computer College. The virus emerged on May 4, 2000, and quickly spread globally, affecting over 50 million computers and causing between 5 and 8.7 billion US dollars in damages. The virus was sent as an attachment in an email with the word "ILOVEYOU" in the subject line, and when opened, the attachment caused the virus to spread to the recipients contacts. The virus was not intended to cause unwarranted destruction of the victims computer, but its effect was overreaching and devastating. The incident raised awareness about the need for legislation to address cybercrime in the Philippines and other countries.