Ulirang Ama Awardee for Agriculture

The man hailed as the father of modern fruit tree farm technology is among the 33 "Ulirang Ama Awardees 2002" which honors outstanding Filipino fathers of significant achievements in their respective fields of endeavor and of exemplary reputation as family men.

Bernardo O. Dizon is Sectoral, Business and Industry honoree for Agriculture. Included in the roll of honor are father achievers in different sectors in the Philippine society: politics, law and judiciary, government service, business and industry, socio-civic/religious, medicine and allied services, military and media/journalism.

Dizon is in the company of some the country’s prominent names. Among them are Secretary Michael T. Defensor, Housing & Urban Dev’t Coordinating Council (HUDCC); Justice Sabino R. de Leon, Jr.; Manila Mayor Jose L. Atienza; Nueva Viscaya Rep. Carlos M. Padilla; Administrator Felicito C. Payumo, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Director General Dante V. Liban, Technical Education & Skills Dev’t Authority (TESDA); socio-civic/religious leader Manuel A. Camara; businessmen/indrialists 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 mothers – 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 the Central Luzon State University in Muñoz, 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 kalamansi 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. – Mon Epino