In an enriching cultural and academic exchange, 19 Taiwanese and Filipino Project LAKBAY (Learning Actively through Knowledge-Based Appreciation for Youth) fellows, together with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and the Edu-Connect Southeast Asian Association officials and staff, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 6 February 2025.
Project LAKBAY, a youth cultural and learning immersion camp to enhance youth awareness and active participation in global sustainability programs, is a partnership between the UPOU-Faculty of Management and Development Studies (UPOU-FMDS) and the Edu-Connect Southeast Asian Association.
Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs, welcomed the delegation, introducing the Center with its mission and significant contributions to sustainable agricultural development in Southeast Asia.
SEARCA program staff also oriented the Project LAKBAY fellows with the Center's projects and initiatives. Dr. Nova Ramos, Unit Head of Training for Development, discussed SEARCA's capacity-building programs, including short-term training, online courses, conferences and fora, policy roundtables, and seminar and webinar series. Ms. Anna Gale Vallez, Program Specialist from the Research and Thought Leadership Department, shared her department's undertakings in conducting relevant agricultural and rural development research and implementing support programs. Some of the projects she emphasized are their commodity-focused projects—Upgrading the Calamansi Value Chain towards Improving Calamansi Industry of Oriental Mindoro, Technical Assistance for Development and Promotion of Calamansi in Oriental Mindoro, and the Development of Coconut Industry Growth Areas in the Province of Quezon project. She also discussed the milestones of the School-plus-Home Gardens Project and its offshoot projects. Furthermore, Ms. Lichelle Dara Carlos, Program Specialist from the Emerging Innovation for Growth Department, presented some of the projects supported by SEARCA's Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS), which provides starter funds to researchers, scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs who aim to scale up their technology or innovation model. Moreover, the fellows also learned about the Center's scholarship grants through a video presentation.
During the open discussion, the guests inquired about SEARCA's programs on agri-innovation and youth in agriculture.
They were also given a tour of the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation (SHARING) AgriMuseum.
SEARCA has been hosting Project LAKBAY since 2023, with the most recent visit in August 2024.