Department of Agriculture Secretary William “Manong Willie” Dollente Dar was honored as recipient of the first Benguet State University’s Centennial Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award during thc Virtual Praise Awards Programme on September 30, 2021.
The Program was a highlight of the celebration of the University’s 105th Foundation Anniversary and in observance of the BSU Alumni Association, Inc. centennial, since its founding in 1920.
According to Dr. Lita Molitas Colting, Administrative Officer and Ad hoc member of the BSUAA Inc Board, the award is the highest distinction given to individuals who gave exemplary service with honesty and dignity in building institutions to meet the challenges of the times.
Similarly, BSU University President Felipe Salaing Comila conveyed that the accolade for Secretary Dar is but fitting for Secretary Dar, BSU’s very own graduate and a colleague who has risen from the ranks and achieved a prominent position in the country and in the international sphere.
Dr. Dar finished his Baccalaureate degree (Bachelor in Agricultural Education) and Master’s degree (MS Agronomy) when the University was still Mountain State Agricultural College. He joined the school as a faculty member and later own rose to the position of Vice President for Research and Development and Consortium Coordinator of the Highland Agricultural Research Center (HARC), now Cordillera Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic Resources Research and Development (CorCARRD).
At HARC he pioneered projects such as the Village Level Management Approach Project (VILMAP), Highland Research Development Program (HRDP), with funding from Ford Foundation and the Highland Agricultural Development Project.
From serving the University, his skill and knowledge in research management took him to a position of national magnitude. He was appointed as Director of the Bureau of Agricultural Research, Dept. of Agriculture (DA-BAR) and later on as Director General of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) and was appointed as Acting Dept. of Agriculture Secretary.
His passion as “servant leader” was also evident as he lead the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based at Hyderabad, India for two terms. Dr. Dar was and is the first Filipino and Asian for that matter to serve as Director General (DG) in the said Center. His stint as DG earned him awards from the government of India, particularly from Prime Minister Abdul Kalaam.
He also founded the InangLupa Movement, “a social movement advocating inclusive, science-based, resilient and market-oriented Philippine agriculture.”
In his recorded video message, Secretary Dar mentioned that ” for 105 years, BSU has continued to be the center of quality education and training for sustainable development.” He added that the life he spent at BSU as student, researcher, faculty and administrator accorded him an enormous impact in his 40-ycar career in Agriculture and Rural Development.”
He thanked the University Leadership, the men and women of BSU and the Alumni Association for the Award.
He ended his message with an endearment note in the vernacular : “Diyos manen ti agngina kada kayo amin nga kabsat iti BSU ken Probinsya ti Benguet ken iti Cordillera.”**BSU Release
