SEARCA in the News

LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD), held a virtual information session to announce its full Master's and PhD scholarships for Academic Year 2026–2027. The annual event was designed to guide prospective graduate students from across the Southeast Asian region. The scholarships are open to nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. The session provided a comprehensive overview of the program, aligning with SEARCA's 12th Five-Year Development Plan. SEARCA encourages applicants to… Read more

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM—Jaymark Warren Dia, Unit Head for Management Information Systems at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), has been honored with the prestigious Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Service Award 2024/2025. The award ceremony, held on July 1, 2025, during the 53rd SEAMEO Council Conference at the Empire Hotel, recognized Dia for his outstanding service, innovation, and unwavering commitment to SEARCA over the past two decades. Jaymark "Jay" Dia, a University of the Philippines Los Baños graduate in computer science with a graduate degree in business management, has been at the… Read more

KOICA, UPLB, and IRRI came together to showcase how global partnerships and emerging omics technologies are transforming agri-food systems across Asia and beyond at the 4th KOICA-UPLB-IRRI International Conference. The event convened scientists, scholars, and development partners to explore how genomics and bioinformatics address pressing challenges in food security, environmental sustainability, and rural livelihoods. "KOICA believes that science and innovation are key drivers of modernization. Through the establishment of the state-of-the-art Agricultural Genomics Research Center (AGRC), supported by academic partnerships, scholarships, and training programs, genome-based research and development capabilities will be significantly strengthened," said KOICA Philippines Country Director Jung Youngsun… Read more

Central Mindanao University (CMU) proudly celebrates the achievement of one of the faculty members of the College of Agriculture, Prof. Ma. Joverly Molde-Abello, a PhD in Horticulture candidate and CHED-SIKAP scholar, who was recognized as Best Presenter at the 10th University Consortium (UC) Graduate Forum held on June 2–3, 2025, at Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia. With the theme "Innovative Agriculture and Green Technologies for a Resilient Future," the forum gathered 25 promising graduate scholars from 12 member universities of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC), co-hosted by Universitas Brawijaya and the Southeast… Read more

THE application of artificial intelligence (AI) in fish farming is viable based on a pilot deployment of fish feeders in Malaysia. The pilot testing of the AI-assisted technology was made possible with a grant from the Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions or GRAINS of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Agriculture (SEARCA) based in University of the Philippines Los Baños. Particularly in Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia, the installation of automated feeders in fish tanks has reduced time spent on manual feeding by 70 percent and cut feed waste by 20 percent. SEARCA said that for… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recently sent a message of gratitude to J. Prospero "Popoy" De Vera III for his leadership during his tenure as Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairperson from 2018-2025. In a statement, SEARCA said: "De Vera's commitment to advancing Philippine higher education has inspired internationalization, innovation, resilience and global competitiveness." De Vera's support for SEARCA's project, Leveling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR), empowered 612 faculty members across 60 state universities through training programs, mobility exchanges, and international collaborations. "We are especially… Read more

TIMOR-LESTE and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) are exploring possible areas of cooperation. This, as the Timor-Leste Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry (MLFF) officials, led by Secretary of State for Livestock José Vieira de Araujo, visited the SEARCA headquarters on May 29, 2025. With Araujo were Carlos Antunes Amaral, general director of Livestock and Veterinary; Agusto Barros, national director of Livestock and a SEARCA scholarship alumnus; Elizabeth Purificação Luan Mali, executive secretary; and Julio Cesar Sequeira Amaral, media officer. They were accompanied by representatives of the Timor-Leste Embassy in Manila… Read more

TWO scholars from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Laguna presented their respective research work at the 2nd Asean University Symposium for Sustainable Food System held recently at IPB University in Bogor, Indonesia. The event gathered representatives from 12 universities in Southeast Asia to address pressing issues in food security and sustainability. Maria Cristina Pammit, a master of science in agricultural economics major at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, discussed her study on crop diversification in Ilocos Norte province. Her research on Market Systems, Economics and Agribusiness examined the profitability… Read more

MARKING a significant step forward in regional collaboration and academic exchange in dairy research, the Capiz State University (CapSU) has strengthened its ties with the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Under the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Faculty Mobility Grant, Dean Ronel Reproto of CapSU College of Agriculture and Fisheries completed his mobility program at UPM from April 21 to May 15. The grant enables grantees to conduct their research work or take courses for credit in any University Consortium member-university, other prominent agricultural university or research institution, be exposed… Read more

SOME 83 students from New Era University (NEU) College of Communication visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to learn about the craft of messaging in agricultural science. SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs Nur Azura binti Adam and partnerships unit staff welcomed the NEU students. Zara Mae Estareja, SEARCA senior associate for public relations, briefed the students on the center's core programs and discussed the challenges encountered in agricultural communication. These include simplifying complex research findings for general audiences, countering misinformation and influencing stakeholders to take action. Estareja explained that communicating agricultural science… Read more