The Philippine Star, Sunday, July 7, 2002

Bernardo Dizon:  Ulirang Ama Awardee for Agriculture

by Mon Epino

     Director General Dante V. Liban, Technical Education & Skills Dev't Authority (TESDA); socio-civic/religious leader Manuel A. Camara; businessmen/industrialist Francisco P. Rivera and Soy Tian C. Lim; Gerry H. Tan, M.D.; Lt. Gen. Dionisio R. Santiago and media executive Dante A. Ang.

     The recognition - a separate presentation is reserved for outstanding mother - is an annual project of the National Mother's Day and Father's Day Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.

     Dizon, the first and only honoree from the agriculture sector is an expert pomologist who maintains fruit research techno-demo farms for farmers to see and learn fruit farming technologies - the DENR-PAWB-Dizon Botanic Fruit Center; the Techno-Demo Farm at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center; the CLSU-Dizon Fruit Research and Techno-Demo Center at Central Luzon State University, Nueva Ecija and the CLSU-Dizon Orchard Techno-Demo Farm in Tiaong, Quezon.

     Dizon is credited for adaptive techniques in growing exotic high-value fruits in the country like durian, longan, grape, rambutan, mangosteen, lychee, pummelo, berba, giant calamansi and chico, among many others. In spite of his works, he is hoping the government could get itself more involved in setting up techno-demo farms and nurseries for the farmers to have ready access to farming technologies and planting materials.