SEARCA in the News

A distinguished female educator and administrator at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has been appointed as deputy director for programs of the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). For the first time, according to SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio, a Malaysian woman has been appointed for a three-year term starting Jan. 1, 2023. "I am very happy that we now have Dr. Nur Azura Binti Adam as our deputy director for programs since the post had been vacant since 2006. I am doubly pleased that with Dr. Nur we have not only the first… Read more

The Philippine-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted on Wednesday training on agri-robotics for learners and educators of the Dagatan Family Farm School (DFFS) in Batangas. According to SEARCA headed by Director Glenn Gregorio, the agri-robotics training is part of a one-day learning activity that will be the first collaboration between SEARCA and DFFS, which is located in Lipa, Batangas and has the distinction of being the first family farming school in Asia. He said the learning activity was conceived on Jan. 13, 2023 when SEARCA officers and DFFS staff, DFFS school director… Read more

THE Cavite State University (CvSU) received a citation recognizing its bee program's contribution to and partnership with the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program of the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI). The accolade was given during the DA-BPI 93rd anniversary held at BPI Compound, San Andres, Malate, Manila on January 19, 2023. CvSU was cited for providing technical assistance in beekeeping and strengthening collaboration that inspire the society to adopt bee farming that complement in the local food production in National Capital Region. The bee program is a pet project of the CvSU College of Arts and… Read more

The Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) has reaffirmed the need to build a culture of agri-innovation in action among the Filipino youth during the recently held Nanotechnology Webinar Series Friday, January 20. Searca director Glenn Gregorio, also a National Academy of Science and Technology-Philippines academician, has made an emphasis on this during the sixth session of the webinar "Empowering Young Filipino Researchers for an Emerging Technology Ready Philippines." Headquartered on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Searca is a nonprofit organization established by the Southeast Asian… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) head reaffirmed the need to build a culture of agri-innovation among the Filipino youth. Speaking at the sixth session of the Webinar Series on Nanotechnology titled “Empowering Young Filipino Researchers for an Emerging Technology Ready Philippines,” SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio emphasized the innovations for transformational change and how to reinforce a transformed agricultural food system in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, said a SEARCA news release. Gregorio told the webinar organized by the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging… Read more

To provide farmers better access to supplies for agricultural production, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) supported a project to digitize agri-supply stores through the GoEden online platform. “GoEden consolidates products from various agri-supply stores into a one-stop online shop. This helps farmers cut travel time to multiple stores and avoid settling for products that fall short of requirements. The goal is to provide farmers a wide choice of products through an organized e-commerce platform,” said SEARCA director Glenn Gregorio. The SEARCA Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS) funded the digital… Read more

For the first time, a Malaysian and a woman has been appointed as Deputy Director for Programs of the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). The appointment of Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Nur Azura Binti Adam, a distinguished educator and administrator at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), took effect on 1 January 2023. Her appointment is for a three-year term. “I am very happy that we now have Dr. Nur as our Deputy Director for Programs since the post had been vacant since 2006. I am doubly pleased that with Dr. Nur we… Read more

A five-year agreement was forged between the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduate Study in Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) with the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) for institutional cooperation. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU), SEARCA and CatSU agree to collaborate in undertaking programs, projects and activities related to faculty development, agricultural and rural development and exchange scientific materials, knowledge products and information. The accord was signed in a virtual ceremony on January 11, 2023 by SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio and CatSU President Patrick Alain Azanza. Gregorio opened the virtual ceremony by saying universities play an important role in SEARCA's 11th… Read more

The government continues to forge cooperation with various entities to ensure that the Filipino farmers are extended with the best services and support to improve and increase farm production. “The Department of Agriculture (DA) has developed a longstanding and fruitful partnership with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) over the years,” DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban relayed during the opening ceremony of the 5th National Seed Summit on January 23, 2023 in Quezon City. According to the DA official, DA’s alliance with the group has supported the government’s operation that has benefitted 1.6 million rice farmers, 692 corn growers, and 100,000 individual farmers. He added that it has also maintained granary research, and increased… Read more

A five-year Institutional Cooperation Agreement has been signed between Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduate Study in Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Catanduanes State University (CatSU). Pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), SEARCA and CatSU agree to collaborate in the implementation of programs, projects and activities related to faculty development, agricultural and rural development and to exchange scientific materials, knowledge products and information. The agreement was signed in a virtual ceremony on January 11, 2023 by SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio and CatSU President Patrick Alain Azaza. Gregorio opened the virtual ceremony by saying that universities play an important role… Read more