SEARCA News

'Spread the gospel of biotech' — these were the words of Engr. Alson Quimba, Provincial Agriculturist of the Province of Bukidnon, Philippines to more than 150 farmers, local government officers, and members of the academe and consumer groups during the Biotech 101 and Joint Department Circular Public (JDC) Public Briefing held in the province on August 16, 2019. A training on Storytelling Agri-Innovations thru Social Media was held the following day, attended by around 30 information officers from the province. Engr. Quimba encouraged the participants to study both sides of the biotech debate. "At the end of the day, we… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The SEARCA Photo Contest 2019 has been launched here, seeking images that showcase Southeast Asia's entrepreneurial and innovative youth who are actively engaged in agriculture now and in the future. Themed Cultivating Southeast Asia's Youth Agripreneurs, the photo contest aims to curate photos from professional and amateur photographers who are nationals of the 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The 2019 photo tilt is the 13th conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), one of the regional specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)… Read more

CORON, Palawan – School plus home gardens would significantly benefit Busuanga Island, Palawan. This was the consensus of a consultation workshop undertaken by a team from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) during a scoping visit in Coron on 29-31 July 2019 to gauge the interest and willingness of potential partners and the community to participate in the School-Plus-Home-Gardens Project (S+HGP). According to the workshop participants - representatives from the Coron Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), local grade… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – SEARCA organized the Orientation for New and Continuing Scholars on 18 August 2019 at Drilon Hall, SEARCA headquarters. 60 students taking their masters and doctoral degrees in UPLB attended the event. This orientation is regularly held to acquaint the students about SEARCA and their responsibilities as scholars of the institution. This is also an avenue for them to meet their fellow scholars. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, welcomed the participants and provided them with helpful suggestions in navigating the next years of their graduate school life. Dr. Gregorio highlighted the importance of finding a mentor… Read more

VIENTIANE, Lao PDR – The Lao PDR research team for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-funded project, Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the ASEAN Region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns (ATMI-ASEAN), presented the current progress and preliminary findings of their policy study entitled Cross-border Maize Value Chain Analysis in Xiengkhuang Province during the 2nd Lao PDR National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) Meeting held on 31 July 2019 at Vansana Riverside Hotel here. The Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF-DOA), the focal agency for Lao PDR of the ATMI-ASEAN Project, co-organized the… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – Sixteen learner-participants have successfully completed the second batch implementation of the Communicating Agriculture and Fisheries Research for Inclusive and Sustainable Development (CAFRISD) course under the Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) Mentorship Program during the Final Assessment and Testimonial Ceremony held on 5-7 August 2019 at the SEARCA Headquarters. The IKM Mentorship Program is a capacity-building project funded by the Philippine Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR). It aims to facilitate improved agricultural and fisheries research reporting and knowledge management. The learners are research and communication staff of the regional offices of the DA-Bureau of Fisheries… Read more

A former Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) was proclaimed a National Scientist of the Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte has conferred Dr. Emil Q. Javier the Order of National Scientist through Proclamation 781 released on 8 August 2019. Dr. Javier is the second SEARCA Director to be conferred the rank of National Scientist. The first was SEARCA's founding Director, the late Dr. Dioscoro L. Umali. The Order of National Scientist is considered the highest national recognition conferred upon Filipinos for distinguished individual or collaborative achievement in the physical sciences and technology… Read more

BATTAMBANG PROVINCE, Cambodia – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) organized back-to-back national-level events under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-funded project Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the ASEAN Region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns (ATMI-ASEAN) on 22-23 July 2019 here. The first activity was the roundtable discussion (RTD) on Policy Recommendations of Value Chain Analysis of Maize in Cambodia held on 22 July 2019 at President Hotel. The discussions focused on the… Read more

SEARCA, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), has successfully concluded the 2019 UC-MSFSCC Summer School and Training of Trainers (ToT). Forty-four (44) students from 15 universities under the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) and from partner universities under the Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MSFSCC) project successfully completed the Summer School. This year's offering with theme "Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Vulnerable Areas" was held in the Philippines last 15 – 31 July 2019 and was jointly organized by UPLB, the University… Read more

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia – Mr. Ricardo A. Menorca, Unit Head for General Services of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) received the SEAMEO Service Award at recognition rites during the 50th SEAMEO Council Conference held here on 22-25 July 2019. The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) is an inter-government treaty body founded in 1965 to promote regional cooperation in education, science, and culture in Southeast Asia. SEARCA is one of the oldest among SEAMEO's 26 specialist institutions. The SEAMEO Service Award is given biennially to recognize exemplary staff members of each… Read more