SEARCA in the News

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

Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director and National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) Academician, reaffirmed the need to build a culture of agri-innovation in action among the Filipino youth at a webinar organized by the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) on 20 January 2023. Speaking at the sixth session of the Webinar Series on Nanotechnology titled “Empowering Young Filipino Researchers for an Emerging Technology Ready Philippines,” Gregorio emphasized the innovations for transformational change and how… Read more

Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director and National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) Academician, reaffirmed the need to build a culture of agri-innovation in action among the Filipino youth at a webinar organized by the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) on 20 January 2023. Speaking at the sixth session of the Webinar Series on Nanotechnology titled “Empowering Young Filipino Researchers for an Emerging Technology Ready Philippines,” Gregorio emphasized the innovations for transformational change and how… Read more

To revive their livelihood activities hindered by the pandemic and typhoons, Bicol Region's pili farmers and entrepreneurs received support from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the Socio-Economic Development Program Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SEDP-MPC) engaged 17 barangay (villages) in five municipalities to prepare to launch a pili processing facility in Albay.The project "Technology Adoption for People-Centered Innovation and Livelihood Integration (PILI)" was funded by SEARCA's Grants for Research toward Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS).Gregorio said the project was the groundwork for a facility that aims to help 500 farmers and 1,300… Read more

Officials of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) recently visited Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to hand over scholarship grants for 2022-2023 and discuss proposals for 2024-2025. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said DAAD is a German institution in Europe and considered one of the largest funding organizations for international exchange, contributes to shaping the European Higher Education and Research Area worldwide. One of SEARCA's steadfast partners in the provision of scholarship grants since 1975, DAAD's recent officials were Anna Katharina Rusche, Head of Section, Scholarship Programs Asia and the Pacific, and Natalie Bursinski… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and GoEden online platform have forged a partnership to give farmers better access to supplies for agricultural production. Under the joint undertaking, GoEden will consolidate 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 their production requirements. SEARCA said the initiative aims to offer farmers a wide choice of products through an organized e-commerce platform. The agency funded the digital agriculture project implemented by the startup company through… 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. According to SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio, “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.” The SEARCA Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS) funded… Read more