SEARCA in the News

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

Israeli Embassy officials visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to broach areas of possible collaboration. Deputy Chief of Mission Nir Balzam, who headed the embassy delegation that paid a visit to SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio, has apprised the center of an internship program of Israel for agriculture students. Balzam said the embassy is thinking of schemes on how to promote the learnings and experiences of returning Filipino interns. He said he believes that agricultural interns are the best bridges to transfer agricultural technologies and innovations for adoption. "We're going to do a… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has extended its deadline for submission of short videos that feature enterprising youth in a contest themed "Amplifying Voices of Youth Agripreneurs." Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director, said the center is looking for short videos that feature enterprising youth who ventured into profitable agribusiness and "we are extending the deadline The contest is open to youth agripreneurs (agriculture entrepreneurs) whose age ranges from 15 to 35. The first prize is $1,000, while the second and third prizes are $700 and $400, respectively. A prize of $200 awaits… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is looking for short videos that feature enterprising youth who ventured into profitable agribusiness in a contest themed “Amplifying Voices of Youth Agripreneurs.” The deadline of submission is extended until January 15, 2023. The video entries should feature success stories of youth who engaged in agricultural or social entrepreneurship. They can focus on agricultural production as well as on other ventures along the value chain. SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio said the video entries can be about agribusiness ventures on crop, poultry, and livestock farming as… Read more

“Tugisin ang mga smugglers ng mga agricultural pro­ducts at protektahan ang mga lokal na magsasaka mula sa kompetisyon.” Ito ang apela ni Senador Win Gatchalian sa lahat ng ahensiya ng gobyerno gayung kaliwa’t kanan ang mga nakukumpiskang produktong smuggled, subalit wala pang nahuhuling malaking isda o “big fish” na dapat siyang masawata para mahinto o mabawasan ang iligal na pag-aangkat ng mga produkto. Magugunita na nagsagawa ng mga pagdinig ang Senate committee of the Whole kaugnay sa isyu noong Hunyo, 2022 at lumabas sa ulat ang sinasabing pagkakasangkot ng ilang indibidwal sa malakihang pagpupuslit ng produktong pang-agrikultura. Base sa datos… Read more

Senator Win Gatchalian has called on all agencies concerned to go after smugglers of agricultural commodities and protect local farmers from unwarranted competition. “Kaliwa’t kanan ang mga nakukumpiskang produktong smuggled pero wala pang nahuhuling malaking isda. Dapat masawata ang mismong mga 'big fish' upang mahinto o mabawasan na ang iligal na pag-aangkat ng mga produkto (Smuggled products are being confiscated left and right but no big fish has been caught yet. The 'big fish' themselves must be harmed in order to stop or reduce the illegal importation of products),” Gatchalian said. The Senate Committee of the Whole even released a… Read more

At least 14 Philippine higher education institutions (HEI) represented by 21 administrators and senior and junior faculty members joined a cross-visit to Kasetsart University (KU), a leading research university in Thailand, in early December 2022. The Cross-Visits to Higher Education Institutions in Seameo Member Countries-Thailand is one of the components of the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHEd)-funded project on Leveling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR) implemented by Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Seameo stands for Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, a regional intergovernmental organization… Read more