SEARCA in the News

Infrastructure serves as the backbone of economic activity, enabling the efficient movement of goods and people, facilitating trade, and enhancing overall productivity. Research indicates that every public dollar invested in infrastructure yields a substantial economic return. For instance, a 2022 analysis by the World Bank revealed that public investment has the highest multipliers, averaging around 1.5. This means that a dollar of public investment results in $1.5 of economic activity. Furthermore, infrastructure spending has been shown to stimulate long-term competitiveness, enhance efficiency, and create employment opportunities. It also helps in the growth of industries and businesses, which ultimately leads to… Read more

THE University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Center and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recognizes the achievements of women creating opportunities for them to be part of the discussion and promote inclusivity, especially in the agricultural sector. This initiative, according to SEARCA director Glenn Gregorio is in partnership with the Philippines Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA). Recently, SEARCA and PPSA celebrated the achievements of women in agriculture at the BGC Community Farm by Urban Farmers PH in Taguig City with the theme "WE Can Do It: Empowering Women in Agriculture" Forum. The event was… Read more

Scholars and alumni of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) have gathered in Los Baños, Laguna to discuss the future landscape of agriculture on April 25-26, 2024. Titled "Cultivating Tomorrow: SEARCA's Insights for Agriculture's Future," the conference is jointly organized by SEARCA and the Regional SEARCA Alumni Association (RSAA), the network of SEARCA scholars who have completed their graduate programs. SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio said the conference aims to showcase the research accomplishments of selected scholars as of academic year 2023-24 and raise awareness of their role in the future of… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has partnered with the Regional SEARCA Alumni Association (RSAA) in hosting a conference on April 25 and 26, 2024 at the SEARCA headquarters inside the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) campus in Los Baños, Laguna. Titled "Cultivating Tomorrow: SEARCA's Insights for Agriculture's Future," SEARCA Director Glen Gregorio said the conference aims to showcase the research accomplishments of selected scholars as of academic year 2023-24 and raise awareness of their role in the future of agriculture. Twenty-two scholars present their research in five sessions: agriculture policy… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) Cavinti in Laguna in the implementation of the fourth district-wide school and home gardens or the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) evaluation. Soledad Villanueva, DepEd Cavinti Sub-office public school district supervisor and overall program chairperson, expressed gratitude for the continuous and valuable support of Searce and their other partners during the opening program. During the evaluation from March 25 to 26, 2024 anchored on the theme "Sustaining School-plus-Home Gardens Program Through Continuous Partnership and Linkages," SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio gave… Read more

SOUTHEAST Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and The Head Foundation (THF) partnered in running the 2024 Leadership Development Program for Higher Education Institutions (LDP-HEIs) in Southeast Asia with 23 higher education institutions (HEIs) represented via Microsoft Teams. SEARCA director Glenn Gregorio said this five-month hybrid program which kicked off on March 14, 2024 will run up to July this year with online and face-to-face sessions, including keynote addresses from renowned HEI leaders and one-on-one coaching sessions with thought leaders in HEI management and leadership. Gregorio said the LDP-HEIs is now on its sixth run… Read more

The Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) urged Filipino farmers to become innovative agricultural entrepreneurs. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said that based on the dynamics of agriculture in Southeast Asia, he is advocating for a shift from traditional practices to systemic and integrated innovations, and "urging Filipino farmers to become more innovative agricultural entrepreneurs." He also noted how the ever-changing agricultural landscape caused by the Fourth Industrial Revolution led to a paradigm shift in agricultural education. "In the future, there will be a greater emphasis on training students in using advanced technologies… Read more

Young students from the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia made up most of the audience of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) digital agri talk show on Facebook. The second episode of "SEARCA Youth in Agri Talk Show," streamed on the center's Facebook page, garnered over 5,000 views in its first 24 hours and over 120,000 views in less than a month. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the show is a non-academic and non-conventional approach to learning which aims to promote agriculture and its importance to Southeast Asian youth, particularly those in basic education… Read more

SEEKING potential partnerships on their bamboo program, a delegation from Laguna University (LU) recently visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Colegio Gascon, LU officer in charge president, said that the university, which contributes to the Laguna Bamboo Council as part of its technical working group, is "working on free certificate programs on bamboo technology." Note: Full access to this article is exclusive to The Manila Times subscribers… Read more

The country's farm tourism industry has made a grand comeback from its pandemic slump with the holding of the 7th Philippine Farm Tourism Conference in the resort island of Panglao, Bohol. Organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), the event was supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport). Returning after a five-year hiatus, the conference gathered a powerhouse lineup of speakers, namely Department of Tourism undersecretary Mae Elaine Bathan, Philexport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., BFAR national… Read more