SEARCA in the News

Greenpeace is now aggressively escalating its attacks on Golden Rice just weeks after the Philippine government determined it is safe for human and animal consumption. Its Philippines’ chapter is calling on the government to revoke its December decision that puts approval on a fast track. The environmental activist group is now arguing that the government erred in not following the ‘precautionary principle’, a controversial regulatory concept that considers all the potential hazards of a decision or policy but often ignores whether any real-world risks are involved, and rarely includes cost-benefit analysis. It’s a notion widely deployed by activist groups in… Read more

Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), one of the pioneer institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, has partnered with Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to start various collaborations on food security. Adopting a holistic and inter-disciplinary approach, SEARCA and DA-PhilRice will collaborate on programs, projects, and other related activities addressing the challenges identified by SEARCA on its strategic plan. Among these challenges include global warming and unpredictable weather patterns; periodic but unpredictable food shortages and price spikes; uneven, inequitable, and jobless economic growth; and globalized supply chains… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) have renewed their partnership to further collaborate and address challenges, particularly leadership development, in the country’s rice sector. SEARCA is keen to contribute in addressing regional and global challenges, elevating agricultural families’ quality of life. The Center will do so by enabling them to access new and innovative financial services​​; to adopt new, sustainable, resilient production technologies and systems​​; to integrate with modern postharvest and logistics system​​; and to gain access to and operate in modern networks and markets​​. ​Meanwhile, PhilRice is mandated… Read more

MANILA, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) have renewed their partnership to further collaborate and address challenges, particularly leadership development, in the country’s rice sector. SEARCA is keen to contribute in addressing regional and global challenges, elevating agricultural families' quality of life. It intends to do so by enabling farmers to access new and innovative financial services??, adopting  new, sustainable, resilient production technologies and systems?? and  integrating with modern postharvest and logistics system. PhilRice, on the other hand,  is mandated to help develop high-yielding and cost-reducing… Read more

Los Baños, Laguna—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture and the Philippine Rice Research Institute have renewed their partnership to further collaborate and address challenges, particularly leadership development, in the country’s rice sector. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, said the Center is keen to contribute in addressing regional and global challenges, elevating agricultural families’ quality of life.  “The Center will do so by enabling the families to access new and innovative financial services​​; to adopt new, sustainable, resilient production technologies and systems​​; to integrate with modern postharvest and logistics system​​; and to gain access… Read more

FOUR Filipinos won five of the top six prizes in the 13th Photo Contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca). They were Mariano Sayno, first prize; Jose Ramos, third prize; Christopher Andres, People’s Choice Award; and Jaime Singlador, the Searca Director’s Choice and the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary’s Choice, both new special prize categories. Phan Thi Khanh of Vietnam won second prize. Launched in September 2019, the photo contest focused on the theme “Cultivating Southeast Asia’s Youth Agripreneurs.” It received 762 entries from September to November 2019 from 235 professional… Read more

Los Baños, Laguna—Four Filipinos won five of the six top prizes in the 13th Photo Contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, which focused on the theme “Cultivating Southeast Asia’s Youth Agripreneurs.” The winners are Mariano Sayno, first prize; Phan Thi Khanh of Vietnam, second prize; Jose Ramos, third prize; and Christopher Andres, People’s Choice Award. Jaime Singlador bagged the SEARCA Director’s Choice and the Philippine Department of Education Secretary’s Choice, both new special prize categories. Mariano Sayno’s photo shows a mother-and-son tandem in the town of Laguna, Philippines, known for its duck… Read more

Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is calling for a favorable set of biotechnology (BT) regulatory policies in the Philippines amid calls for the revocation of the commercial permit of Golden Rice, a genetically modified (GM) rice variety. In a statement, SEARCA said that aside from the safety questions on the BT products, an "effective communication and science-based regulatory frameworks" is also important. It issued the statement weeks after the Philippine government has approved Golden Rice for direct use as food and feed as well as for processing (FFP). To be specific, the Philippine… Read more

The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has launched a new look for its 15th year of publication. The news look is "symbolic of the pivotal turn in its publisher's goal to contribute in addressing regional and global challenges, elevating agricultural families' quality of life through sustainable and resilient livelihoods and access to modern networks and markets," SEARCA said in a statement. The new AJAD look highlights the iconic "tree" emblem of its publisher. It shows a molave tree with an interlace of grain… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is boosting support for favorable agri-biotechnology regulatory policies amid calls for the revocation of the commercial permit of Vitamin A-rich Golden Rice. Believing agri-biotechnology is the key to food security and uplifting farmers' lives, SEARCA said it has partnered with three expert groups for the program to boost expert knowledge in regulations on living modified organisms, which include farm products more known as genetically modified organisms (GMO). This is through the opening of the program "Second Asian Course on Agribiotechnology." SEARCA Director and National Academician Glenn Gregorio… Read more