BY JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ/Photos by Mark Chester Ang
Before being appointed as Transportation Secretary, Dizon made waves as part of the Duterte Administration’s “Build,Build, Build” team, where he served as president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
As a presidential appointee, he led BCDA in its objectives of transforming former military bases and properties into premier centers of economic growth. He also eventually became a prime mover of the country’s P9-trillion “Build, Build, Build” initiative as presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects; and, even played a vital role in the fight against the pandemic as deputy chief implementer of the country’s National Action Plan Against COVID-19.
Under his term, the BCDA remitted around P17.8 billion to the national government from 2017 to 2021 — funds that have been used primarily for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This was the highest remittance of any administration, and roughly translated to 37 percent of the institution’s total remittances to the government’s coffers from at that time.
Putting Clark on the map
Dizon, along with his team of highly trained professionals in the BCDA, is also credited by many for truly putting Clark on the map. In the past, the locale existed under the shadow of nearby Subic. But under the Duterte administration, Clark, along with New Clark City, evolved into a powerhouse location in Central Luzon.
“Past administrations tended to focus on Subic because they thought Clark had a long way to go. But now, thanks to everyone’s collective efforts, Clark was catapulted to a level where everybody wants to be here!” he told PeopleAsia in June 2021.
Aside from attracting retail and lifestyle giants such as Ayala, Robinsons, SM, Filinvest and Megaworld, Clark’s business portfolio also grew under his term, as both major local and foreign companies decided to move their operations there. Big names like Texas Instruments, Samsung , Yokohama, UPS International, Inc. and Sumidenso Automotive Technologies were among the 1,200 investors that set up shop in Clark.
While the robust infrastructure developments can be credited for Clark’s tremendous growth, Dizon also told PeopleAsia in 2021 that one specific project stood out when it came to attracting potential investors. “The potential has been unlocked but the main driver was really the development of the airport. That really drove progress into the area,” he shares of the Clark International Airport New Passenger Terminal, which opened its doors in May 2022.
BCDA, under his term, also took on the task of hosting the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in style. “We were
not supposed to host the games anymore and were supposed to just let Vietnam host it. But there was a sudden change and we became the host country, even though we did not have the facilities to host some of the events. We needed a new stadium, a new aquatic center,” he said in a previous interview.
Seeing this as an opportunity to showcase the beauty and potential of Clark, the BCDA took on the challenge. And in 18 months, the 12,796-sq.m. New Clark City Aquatics Center and the 20,000-seat New Clark City Athletics Stadium were conceptualized, built and completed.
Asked about his secret to being able to wear so many hats — and wear them well — Dizon credited his decades-long experience in government as his ultimate mentor. Prior to taking the reins in BCDA, the presidential appointee had already served as chief-of-staff for the late Senate President Edgardo Angara and as an Undersecretary for Political Affairs.
“I spent a lot of my years in government in the legislative branch. So my exposure to politics has been very vast. I’ve worked with so many politicians. I’ve worked with so many candidates. But at the same time, I’m also trained in the academe and I have experience in the private sector. My training also exposed me to the technical side of governing. It allows me to straddle both worlds,” he said.
