SEARCA in the News

Photographers from Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, are invited to join the 17th Photo Contest being initiated by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) with the theme "Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering global boiling." SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio said the competition draws inspiration from United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who declared: "We are past the era of global warming, and we are now experiencing global boiling." This declaration on July 21 strongly underscores the gravity of the climate crisis, Gregorio said. Gregorio elaborated: "'Global boiling' serves as a metaphorical depiction of the… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted virtual learning sessions on climate-smart villages (CSVs) to enhance the capacities of participants to promote, disseminate and advocate for local platforms for scaling inclusive forms of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and anticipatory climate adaptation. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said these learning sessions jointly offered with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) from Sept. 19 to 20, 2023, via Zoom, were part of an eight-day blended course "Climate-Smart Villages as Platforms for Community-Level Anticipatory Climate Adaptation to Improve Food Security and Resiliency." A module was delivered virtually… Read more

UNDERSCORING the pivotal role of sustainable development and enterprise-building in ensuring the survival and prosperity of the coconut industry, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) organized a one-day training workshop on organizational development for coconut farmer associations. The event under the project "Development of the Coconut Industry Growth Areas in the Province of Quezon" in Catanauan, Quezon was held on September 26, 2023. SEARCA director Dr. Glenn Gregorio said the event was co-organized with the Provincial Government of Quezon through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA)… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is organising its 17th annual photo contest, focusing on images that showcase agricultural technologies and practices that help mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce pressure on natural resources. The theme for this year's contest is 'Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering global boiling,' highlighting the importance of agriculture in combating climate change. SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change, referencing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' statement that we are no longer in the era of global warming but are now experiencing "global boiling." Guterres… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) calls on photographers from Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, to join the 17th SEARCA Photo Contest themed "Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering global boiling." SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio said the competition draws inspiration from the words of United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who declared, "we are past the era of global warming, and we are now experiencing global boiling." This declaration, issued on 21 July 2023, strongly underscores the gravity of the climate crisis. Gregorio elaborated, saying, "'Global boiling' serves as a metaphorical depiction of the escalating… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna: The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is in search of images that show agricultural technologies and practices that help abate climate change and promote less pressure on natural resources for its 17th annual photo contest. SEARCA director Dr. Glenn Gregorio noted that for its 17th year, the center is zooming in with the theme "Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering global boiling," in its effort to highlight technologies and practices in agriculture that help mitigate worsening effects of climate change. Gregorio mentioned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when the latter alerted the public on… Read more

The Philippines has lost $552 million in cash outflows as foreign equity abandoned the local bourse in nine months, and such loss of foreign exchange doesn't bode well for the financial system that Bangko Sentral Gov. Eli Remolona Jr. is sworn to defend. This development is a bad sign for the government, which has to issue short-term and medium-term bonds to generate cash to pay its monthly debt bill of P100 billion. Yet, the much-heralded Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) also contributed to the drain of the public treasury as both Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) paid… Read more

A new project was initiated by Asian research and development agencies in order to enhance climate resilience in agriculture, natural resources and ecosystems in the Philippines. Being led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the project is in collaboration with Niras Asia Manila Inc. and the International Centre for Environmental Management. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, and titled "Accelerating Climate Resilience in Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Project," the initiative aims to advance the Philippine government's climate resilience reform agenda under the Climate Change Action Program (CCAP). The project kicked… Read more

A NEW project that will enhance climate resilience in agriculture, natural resources and ecosystems in the Philippines is being led by the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Officially titled "Accelerating Climate Resilience in Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Project," this initiative aims to advance the government's climate resilience reform agenda under the Climate Change Action Program (CCAP). The project brought together 47 national and international experts from relevant government agencies and multisectoral institutions in agriculture, natural resources and the environment to deliberate on the project's objectives. It is done in… Read more

There is social scientific belief, which is common to researchers in the field, that Filipino farmers tale at least eight years to adopt new rice and corn seeds as well as farm technologies, but they eventually embrace new tools and inputs that would raise their yields, improve the prices of their crops or animals, and allow them to pay back creditors, principally loan sharks. In one interesting study in remote Samar, a Harvard scientist wishing to improve abaca production and teach Waray farmers to earn more found it hard to battle a disease similar to Fusarium wilt that decimates bananas… Read more