SEARCA News

PASAY CITY, Philippines—Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Center Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), served as a panel discussant during the "Sustainability and Technology in the Rice Supply Chain" session of the 2024 International World Rice Conference Summit held on 5–7 November at the Conrad Hotel Manila. In his talk, Dr. Gregorio underscored the role of sustainability and technology in strengthening the rice supply chain. "We embrace sustainability and technology to transform the rice supply chain toward greater resilience and transparency," he remarked. "By integrating sustainable practices and advanced technology, stakeholders can better… Read more

Building on its goal to maximize academe-industry-government interconnectivity, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) convened representatives from the academe, media, farmer groups, and local government units in the province of Agusan del Norte for the Stakeholders Consultation Workshop: Building Alliances for Modern Biotechnology Promotion and Uptake in the Philippines. The event, co-organized with the Caraga State University (CSU), was held on 24 October 2024 at the CSU Campus. It provided an inclusive platform to gather feedback, share information, and build consensus among stakeholders to support the provincial government in promoting the uptake of… Read more

PALAWAN, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recently organized an initiative titled, "Assessment and Utilization of School Garden Produce through a Cooking Contest/Recipe Development and Monitoring and Evaluation Activities of School Gardens," as part of the School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement and Enterprise (SHGBEE) in Coron and Busuanga, Palawan. This initiative, designed to improve the nutritional status of children, integrates fresh produce from school gardens into the school-based feeding program (SBFP) of the Department of Education (DepEd). As several crops have reached harvest maturity, SEARCA arranged a cooking contest to encourage… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD)– Graduate Scholarships and Institutional Development Unit, has recently hosted a Culminating Forum to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of alumni from the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) – SEARCA Local and International Graduate Scholarship Programs in Livestock Research and Biotechnology. The event highlighted the transformative experiences of the scholars during their graduate studies and their significant impact on their individual careers, the PCC, and the communities they serve. A Shared Commitment to Excellence The forum opened with welcome remarks from… Read more

Due to the threats of Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi) to Luzon, Philippines, in the coming days, we regret to postpone the AJAD 20th Anniversary Ceremony slated for 18 November 2024. We will announce when a new date for the event has been set. The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD), an internationally peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), celebrates two decades of contributing to the knowledge base of Asian agriculture and development through a paper seminar, featuring the presentation and discussion of two published articles in the… Read more

Nineteen Grade 12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students from Reedley International School, along with two faculty members, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 15 October 2024 for an immersive journey into the future of agriculture. The students participated in a session of the Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture, a learning activity organized by SEARCA's Partnerships Unit (PU) as part of the Center's banner youth engagement initiative, the Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI). Featured in the activity was a presentation by Mr. Glenn Baticados, an agribusiness expert… Read more

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Maejo University (MJU) jointly organized the Workshop on Quality Assurance Guidelines for Micro-credentials on 28–29 October 2024 in Bali, Indonesia. The event marked a significant step in advancing educational innovation in the region through the ERASMUS+-funded program on Postgraduate Micro-credentials in Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC). Participants in the workshop collaborated to develop and finalize guidelines ensuring robust quality assurance (QA) for micro-credentials, positioning them as flexible learning pathways to address critical challenges like food security and climate change. The workshop gathered representatives from institutions, including Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), UGM, and Universitas… Read more

Grade school and high school student-inventors from Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba showcased their agri-inventions at the Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture session on agri-robotics organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) through its Partnerships Unit (PU) as part of the Center's Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI) program on 21 October 2024. In his opening message, Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director, explained that agriculture is a complex system that includes not only production but also harvesting, postharvest processing, and, ultimately, consumption. Dr. Gregorio also underscored the… Read more

Seventeen new SEARCA scholars pursuing master's and doctoral degrees attended the hybrid orientation meeting held face to face at the SEARCA headquarters and online via Zoom on 21 October 2024. The new scholars were from Cambodia (2), Indonesia (6), Malaysia (1), Myanmar (1), the Philippines (6), and Liberia (1). Organized by the Center through its Graduate Scholarship and Institutional Development Unit under the Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD-GSIDU), the orientation featured a briefing on SEARCA and its programs and activities followed by specific discussions about the policies and guidelines in the administration of the SEARCA graduate scholarship program. Dr… Read more

Ms. Soledad Villanueva, Public School District Supervisor (PSDS) of the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) Los Baños, Laguna Sub-office, and Ms. Pilar Habito, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Arturo Cariaga, both of Life Learning Organization of Peace, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 11 October 2024 for an exploratory meeting regarding a community engagement initiative focusing on school garden and youth entrepreneurship. Ms. Villanueva thanked the Center for its longstanding partnership with DepEd through the School-plus-Home Gardens Project (S+HGP). She expressed excitement about expanding the S+HGP and further strengthening DEpEd's Gulayan… Read more