SEARCA in the News

As a major developing economy grappling with surging rice prices, the Philippines faces mounting challenges in securing access to affordable, nutritious food from indigenous sources amid shrinking farms. While easing rice prices in the domestic market, the rice tariffication law firmed up the country's dependence on imported grains. The law slashed tariffs on the staple food from 35 percent to 15 percent through 2028 to ease the country's inflation woes. Players in the agriculture sector said the law has benefitted, thus far, foreign producers such as Vietnam and leaves Filipino farmers struggling to compete. Rice makes up nine percent of… Read more

Welcome, dear readers, to a delightful harvest of information about the rice supply chain! Grab your forks and knives—or wait, perhaps just your minds—because we're diving into some meaty topics that would make any farmer proud (or maybe bewildered). According to Director Glenn Gregorio from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, aka Searca (try saying that three times fast), the future of rice is looking greener, more tech-savvy, and quite the mouthful of a journey! During the "Sustainability and Technology in the Rice Supply Chain" session at the 2024 International World Rice Conference, Gregorio… Read more

Director Glenn Gregorio from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) spoke about improving the rice supply chain. He emphasized the importance of sustainability and technology. His comments came during the "Sustainability and Technology in the Rice Supply Chain" session at the 2024 International World Rice Conference (IWRC) Summit. This event was held from November 5 to 7 at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City, Philippines. Gregorio highlighted that these efforts aim to make the rice supply chain more resilient and transparent. The conference provided a platform for discussing challenges and solutions in rice… Read more

フィリピン政府が主催する東南アジア地域農業大学院研究研究センター（SEARCA）のグレン・グレゴリオ所長は、インドでは コメのサプライチェーンを強化しており、同センターは「コメのサプライチェーンをより強靱性と透明性に向けて変革するための持続可能性と技術を取り入れている」と述べた。 」 グレゴリオ氏は、11月5日から7日にパサイ市のコンラッド・ホテル・マニラで開催された2024年国際 米会議（IWRC）サミットの「米サプライチェーンにおける持続可能性と技術」セッションでパネルディスカッションを務めた。… Read more

Experts underscored the critical role of community engagement and inter-sectoral collaboration in achieving food security and sustainable agricultural development during a recent conference hosted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). They also called for better alignment of budgets and greater access to financial and social services for farmers. Held under the theme, "Agricultural Development for Food Security: Addressing Challenges to Technological Transformation, Sustainability, and Good Governance," the conference gathered experts to explore strategies that can address pressing challenges in agriculture. PIDS organized the event in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for… Read more

ADVISORY: 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. LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is celebrating the 20th year of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) with a seminar series by authors of its anniversary issue. Published by SEARCA twice a year, AJAD is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original… Read more

IN the academic world, the late Gelia Castillo is considered the "queen" of rural sociology. Her extensive work on analyzing the dynamics of rural society made a lasting impact on our knowledge of rural folk. In agricultural economics, the uncontested guru in the country is Cristina David. Her insightful analyses of how the process of agricultural development is triggered and promoted have enriched our knowledge of the Philippine agricultural economy. I am lucky, proud and privileged, together with my wife, Lourdes, to have been mentored by these two great women of UP Los Baños early in our careers. But we… Read more

UPDATE: The AJAD 20th Anniversary Seminar Series has been postponed indefinitely The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is celebrating the 20th year of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) with a seminar series by authors of its anniversary issue. Published by SEARCA twice a year, AJAD is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, and policy briefs on a wide range of topics related to agriculture and rural development in Southeast Asia. Themed "Asian Agriculture and Development in a Dynamic and Volatile Landscape of Demands, Peoples, and Risks,"… Read more

NINETEEN Reedley International School science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and two faculty members visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Laguna province for an "immersive journey into the future of agriculture" Oct. 15, 2024. The Reedley STEM students participated in a session of the learning activity "Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture." The activity was organized by SEARCA's Partnerships Unit as part of the center's banner youth engagement initiative called the Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation or #Y4AGRI. During the activity, Glenn Baticados, an agribusiness expert, agripreneur and assistant… Read more

REPRESENTATIVES from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), and Visayas State University (VSU) from the Philippines and seven other universities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region attended the Workshop on Quality Assurance Guidelines for Micro-credentials in Bali, Indonesia on Oct. 28 and 29, 2024. Organized by Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia) and Maejo University (Thailand), 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). The other participant ASEAN universities include the Institut… Read more