SEARCA News

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) continues its longstanding collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service-Manila (USDA-FAS Manila) in contributing to the development of an enabling environment for agricultural innovations with the Forum on the Current State and Opportunities for Biotechnology in International Trade and Technology Transfer held on 30 June 2023 at the Crop Biotechnology Center (CBC) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija and online via Zoom. Dr. Rhodora Aldemita, executive director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Inc., introduced the topics… Read more

Sharing the commitment to harness knowledge sharing and learning in advancing the agriculture sector in the Philippines and the region, SEARCA and the Philippine Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA) launched the Learning Alliance Working Group (WG) on 27 June 2023 at the Ascott Hotel, Taguig City, Metro Manila. The event gathered more than 40 stakeholders from the academe, industry, and government (AIG). With SEARCA as lead, the Learning Alliance WG seeks to support research efforts on agriculture and sustainable development and create market-driven solutions that contribute toward lifting smallholder livelihoods at scale. This initiative is also aligned with the Center's… Read more

MANILA, Philippines—In a series of diplomatic engagements last week, Dr. Glenn Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), had interacted with three ambassadors to the Philippines, the Center's host country. Two were envoys of associate member countries of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), SEARCA's mother organization. Dr. Gregorio said their discussions focused on the Center's upcoming initiatives and potential collaboration opportunities to enhance agricultural development in the region. On the sidelines of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) Annual Scientific Meeting at the Manila… Read more

The start-up venture Insiklo is turning market and household wastes into feed and fertilizer with the help of the insect black soldier fly (BSF). Every week, about 500 kg of market waste from Los Baños municipality are sent to Insiklo facility. The larvae of BSF devour food scrap, agricultural debris, and manure, reducing the waste volume and odor into a nutrient-rich compost for use as organic fertilizer on crops. The mature larvae are then harvested and processed into high-protein feed for livestock, poultry, and fish. The SEARCA Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS) was awarded in 2022 to… Read more

The Philippine Association of Agriculturists (PAA), Inc., the only Accredited Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO) for agriculture in the Philippines, will be holding its 10th National Congress and the 2023 Philippine Agriculturists' Summit on 25–27 July 2023 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City, Davao del Sur. The event will bring together experts, policymakers, and practitioners from various fields in agriculture. It aims to devise innovative solutions and strategies to ensure a resilient and sustainable future for the country's agricultural sector. The high-profile summit will focus on the theme "Sustainable Transformation of Philippine Agro-Food Systems" and will showcase the collective determination… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has commenced its new fiscal year by offering customized training to incoming scholars for the academic year 2023–24. A group of 11 scholars hailing from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam actively participated in the Basic English Course. The course, which started on 4 July 2023, kicked off with its first module focusing on conversations for social and academic interaction, as well as pronunciation improvement. This initial module was conducted online via Zoom. Subsequently, eight of the 11 scholars will continue their language learning journey… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)'s Faculty of Animal Science have joined forces to offer the International Training on Cage-Free Innovation and Welfare Hub to a group of thirty-one participants representing 19 State Universities and Colleges-Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines (SUC-ACAP) member universities. The week-long training, which commenced on 10 July 2023, aimed to equip attendees with knowledge on best practices for cage-free egg production, ensuring safety and nutritional quality, and promoting sustainable farming practices for environmentally responsible agriculture. The program was developed in… Read more

In an enriching cultural and academic exchange, 40 Taiwanese and Filipino students from the Youth Cultural and Learning Immersion Camp, along with two Taiwanese professors, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 10 July 2023. The visit was aimed at enhancing the students' understanding of the Center's influential research and work on climate change, rural development, and food security; and it was arranged by the University of the Philippines Open University's (UPOU) Faculty of Management and Development Studies under its Project LAKBAY (Learning Actively through Knowledge-Based Appreciation for Youth). The students were… Read more

BANGKOK, Thailand—One Health experts and officials of the specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) have convened recently for a two-day regional workshop on the inclusion of One Health concepts in basic education curriculum across Southeast Asian countries. Dr. Glenn Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and Ms. Beatrisa Martinez, SEARCA executive coordinator, represented the Center at the workshop held on 22–23 June 2023. The workshop was co-organized by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Tropical Medicine Network (SEAMEO TROPMED Network), the Southeast Asia One… Read more

Former Senator of the Philippines Paulo Benigno "Bam" Aquino paid a visit to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 6 July 2023. Prior to the visit, Aquino had participated in a speaking engagement at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Student Union, where he addressed the importance of bridging programs for senior high school students. Mr. Aquino was welcomed by a team led by Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director. Others who attended the meeting include Dr. Nur Azura Adam, deputy director for programs; Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, deputy director for… Read more