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Archives
April 1-30, 2003
Making his mark
by Virginia A. Duldulao
 He
looks back to see the road he traversed. It has been
a rugged and stony way and he had no choice, for there
was no other way. Now he heaves a sigh of triumph and
relief as he scans his surroundings. Could all these
be true? The nine-year old boy who carried the burden
of taking over where his father left off is now a man
whose feet are firm on the ground, certain of what he
wants, and whose vision is focused on a better tomorrow
not for himself but for the greater majority of those
who have less in life.
Today, on the shoulders of this man is
a different burden, no longer mundane and personal,
but on a wider scale and proportion and the responsibility
is great. This time he is ready to carry that burden
steadfastly and unfaltering. His preparation is solid.
He is tempered by experience. He is inherently endowed
with potentials and with faultless humility.
Dr. William C. Medrano, the once nine-year
old boy who realized early the cruel meaning of poverty
and experienced responsibility at a tender age is now
one of the stalwarts of Philippine agriculture today.
His stint as director of the Bureau of Agricultural
Research (BAR) may be short but like those positions
where he had been assigned through the years he will
surely make a mark.
The relationship between Dr. Medrano and
the Isabela State University (ISU)had been mutual. The
ISU was his benefactor and training ground and in return
he gave his school the best of his professional life.
His school provided him job while struggling financially
for his college education and he did not leave it for
better opportunities after graduating cum laude but
grew with it from instructor to the highest level of
professorship. Even after finishing both his Master
of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the
University of the Philippines at Los Banos, his loyalty
to ISU remained strong. He was chairman of the Department
of Animal Science and director for Research, Extension,
and Development.
When he was tapped to become the director
of BAR, he was Professor VI at ISU and concurrently
vice president for research, development, extension
and training of the same university and director of
Cagayan Valley Agriculture and Resources Research and
Development (CVARRD) center. The consortium is composed
of 17 government line agencies in Region 2. He was in
the last position since 1991 to the present and for
that period he brought prestige and honor to the consortium
by capturing the Ugnay Award in 1998 and for three more
consecutive years (2000, 2001 and 2002) from the Philippine
Council for Agriculture and Resources Research and Development
(PCARRD). His appointment to head a research institution
at the national level was understandable since he was
already moving about in familiar grounds.
Director Medrano shared his expertise
and leadership to various institutions. He was livestock
specialist to the Orient Integrated Development Consultants,
Inc. from 1990 to 1996; team leader or member of projects
by PCARRD, ISU Development Foundation, Inc., Commission
on Higher Education, and the European Union-Department
of Agriculture. He was author or co-author of technical
papers published in various publications. He has gone
to many places including that of Korea, Netherlands,
and Australia, either to share what he knows or to learn
some more. He has garnered many awards and citations
as a student, professional and leader. Presently he
is the president of PCARRD Scholars Association, the
Philippine Society of Animal Science (Cagayan Valley
Chapter) where he is a life member, and president-elect
of the Philippine Association of Research Managers (PHILARM).
Learning is a lifetime endeavor for people
who love to learn. Sharing one's knowledge is a commitment
to those who realize that they can contribute something
to make this world a better place to live in. Learning
and sharing thrive best where humility is a virtue that
is in the heart. Usually, people with the common touch
manifest these attributes. And Medrano has that touch. 
April 1-30 2003 Articles:
::
DA
creates open academy for Philippine agriculture
::
PCA
collaborates with international institutions to unravel
coconut genome
::
EU
tariff preferences benefit RP
::
Making
his mark
::
GIS
application in irrigation emphasized
::
BAR
joins Asia IT and C workshop
::
Philippine
agri’l engineering standards launched
::
El
Niño and coping with it
:: What’s
ailing our sweet potatoes?
::
The
world’s first GM peanut
::: More April 2003 articles :::
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