SEARCA in the News

To come up with a basis for policy recommendations and development of possible innovations toward the improvement of the Program on Accelerating Farm School Establishments (Pafse), an intergovernment-treaty organization was tapped to conduct an assessment of farm schools across the country. According to Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director Glenn Gregorio, the center has conducted a series of key informant interviews in selected farm schools to document and assess the current status of Pafse implementation and operation. The goal of the Pafse program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is… Read more

The municipality of Silang, Cavite will take global environmental stage as it plays host to the International Ecotourism Travel Mart (IETM), the world’s first-ever and biggest ecotourism-themed expo set on March 29 to April 2, 2023. ISST president and project proponent Mina Gabor said that the five-day fair will share best practices on ecotourism from global experts and provide networking avenues with ecotourism authorities and specialists. Organized by the Japan-based Asian Ecotourism Network, the IETM will showcase the world’s ecotourism sites, indigenous practices and culture, and push for measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The gathering will also… Read more

A NEW York-based Cornell University Food Systems specialist visiting Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has encouraged Filipino youth to go into agriculture, especially in the agri-food system. Prof. Khin Mar Cho, International Agriculture, Food Systems, and Nutrition Specialist at Cornell University, is in the Philippines and visited SEARCA on November 21, 2022. "We need to encourage young people to go into agriculture and be involved in the agri-food system. Young people are very critical for the economic growth of today and the future," Cho said. In her visit to SEARCA, Cho was received… Read more

A book entitled Pro-Poor Development Policies: Lessons from the Philippines and East Asia, edited by Hal Hill, Majah-Leah V. Ravago, and James A. Roumasset, was recently published and launched in Manila. The editors and authors come from the Asia and Pacific region and have experience in East Asia or in the Philippines. The book is published (in 2022) by the ISEAS (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore) and by the SEARCA (Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture in Los Banos, Philippines). Wide-ranging pro-poor economic policies. Some contents of the book were presented in a… Read more

SOUTHEAST Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director Glenn Gregorio said that genetically engineered crops have been benefiting southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines. In a forum on Philippine Biotech Regulations, Gregorio said 630,000 hectares of farmlands in Southeast Asia are now planted with Bt Corn with $729 million economic benefits. "The Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia to implement regulatory framework on the genetically engineered crops. In 2003, the Philippines also became the first Southeast Asian country to commercialize and plant a biotech crop which is Bt Corn. Since then its adoption… Read more

TRADE Secretary Alfredo Pascual on Monday underscored the role of biotechnology in helping solve the country's food security issues amid the growing population and climate change challenges. Pascual was one of the key resource persons during the opening of the 18th National Biotechnology Week: "Responding to the Challenges, Business Opportunities in Biotechnology" held in Pasay City. During his speech, he tagged science, technology, and innovation as keys to moving the Philippines toward an advanced, inclusive, and resilient future. "Biotechnology's breakthrough products and technologies feature multi-faceted benefits. Aside from creating novel diagnostics, vaccines, and combatting debilitating and rare diseases, they can… Read more

The Quezon provincial government is aiming to boost the coconut industry in the province. Quezon Gov. Helen Tan met with the Philippine Coconut Authority, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist to discuss ways to help the industry. They talked about the plan to revive and improve the Quezon Science and Technology Complex for Coconut (CoCoQueST). It would serve as the facility that would increase the earnings and improve the skills of coconut farmers in the province. SEARCA head Gerlie Tatlonghari also suggested that the agency sign a… Read more

Farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) lamented the continuous and worsening agricultural smuggling in the country despite the existence of a law and the anti-smuggling task force created by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC). In 2016, Republic Act No. 10845, An Act Declaring Large-Scale Agricultural Smuggling as Economic Sabotage, Prescribing Penalties Therefor And For Other Purposes, took effect. This was supposed to protect the local farmers. However, six years after its enactment, smuggled agricultural products are still hurting local food producers. Senate President Vicente Sotto III released a Senate investigation report in June this… Read more

Sebanyak 33 mahasiswa program pascasarjana mengikuti program summer course bertemakan “Diversification of crops, mixed cropping, and risk management in smallholder agriculture in the context of climate change” yang diselenggarakan atas kerja sama Universitas Brawijaya (UB) dan SEARCA selama dua minggu (14/5-26/11/2022) di Banyuwangi. Kegiatan yang dirangkai dalam bentuk University Consortium (UC) Summer School 2022 bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan mahasiswa dalam bidang pertanian, rural studies, dan manajemen sumber daya alam, terutama untuk menangani permasalahan keamanan pangan di Asia Tenggara. Sebanyak 33 mahasiswa yang terdiri atas 17 peserta dari luar negeri (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kasetsart University, Central Luzon State University, University of… Read more

“The more colorful your plate is the more nutritious it will be…. People are healthy if they eat healthful food. Healthful food [intake results in] healthy people.” This was said by Dr. Glenn Gregorio, director of Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) during the online launching of “FLEx PHD: Food is Life Exemplified Promoting Planetary Health Diet” on November 16. The project promotes the consumption of more plant-based food in the planetary health diet (PHD). It is being spearheaded by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and… Read more