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result was a botanical garden of exotic high value fruit
trees such as durian,
rambutan,
lychee, mangosteen,
longkong and many
others. Here, too, he maintains a learning center where he
regularly conducts Sunday seminars and technology
demonstrations for free to the public.
For the
success of his passion for fruit trees, he got not only
4,000 square meters for his project but also another 20
years added to 10 years (renewable for another 20 years).
No
less than the new DENR Sec. Heherson T. Alvarez makes sure
that Dizon would succeed in his endeavor in a MOA dated
September 25, 2002.
There's no secret to the success of the project - hard
work, expertise and selfless fixation with fruit trees and
farmers/entrepreneurs - where the memorandum of agreement
with then DENR Secretary Fulgencio S. Factoran Jr. on
January 28, 1991 stipulated that:
1. Dizon will establish, maintain and operate a
demonstration garden that will serve as a showcase for
multiple rootstock techniques for
Millennium, Golden Queen,
Chokanan and Guimaras mangoes,
chico varieties,
mangosteen,
rambutan, longkong, duku
lanzones, lychee,
longan, apple
makopa, Magallanes
pummelo and many other exotic fruit trees.
2. The garden should show farmers, orchard owners and
backyard growers that traditional (mango) and
non-traditional fruit trees (lychee,
orange,
rambutan,
durian,
pummelo and many others) and even dollar earners.
For successfully doing his part of the MOA, the next
DENR secretary, Victor O. Ramos, with the comments
"excellent work" approved an additional 1,500 square meters
for Dizon's project on June 11, 1998. His garden - by now
totaling 2,000 square meters - is now a - bloom with a
myriad of fruit tress.
Comes now the current DENR Secretary Heherson T.
Alvarez. In an updated MOA, the DENR added another 2,000
square meters to Dizon's project for a total of 4,000 square
meters.
In the new agreement, Dizon, in addition to the past
conditions of the other MOAs with Factoran and Ramos, is
enjoined to convince entrepreneurs to plant more fruit
orchards with demonstrations.
Dizon on the project: "I welcome the thrust of the
government on fruit trees and its trust on me. I will do my
best to prove them right." |
