SEARCA GB members present at this year's meeting are (from left) Dr. Suhaimi bin Haji Abdul Wahab of Brunei Darussalam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huon Thavrak of Cambodia, Prof. Dra. Tjitjik Srie Tjahjandari of Indonesia, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chew Fook Tim of Singapore (fifth from left), Dr. Glenn Gregorio of SEARCA (sixth from right), Mr. John Arnold Siena of SEAMES (fifth from right), Dr. Jose Camacho, Jr. of the Philippines (fourth from right), YBhg Prof. Dr. Nazamid bin Saari of Malaysia (third from right), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Acacio Cardoso Amaral of Timor-Leste (second from right), and Prof. Dr. Dokrak Marod of Thailand (rightmost). Also in the photo are Assistant Secretary Georgina Ann Hernandez-Yang of the Philippine Department of Education (sixth from left) and Dr. Nur Azura Adam of SEARCA (fourth from left).
The Governing Board (GB) of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) convened on 30 September–1 October 2024 at SEARCA to review the Center's operations and accomplishments in the previous fiscal year and deliberated on the Center's 12th Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP), spanning fiscal years 2025/2026 to 2029/2030.
As SEARCA's highest decision-making body, the SEARCA GB comprises country representatives from each of the 11 member countries of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), SEARCA's mother organization, along with the SEAMEO Secretariat (SEAMES) Director and SEARCA Center Director as ex-officio members.
Ably chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chew Fook Tim, Country Representative of Singapore to the SEARCA GB, the 72nd GB Meeting saw a high-level participation from representatives of countries in the SEAMEO region, namely, Dr. Suhaimi bin Haji Abdul Wahab of Brunei Darussalam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huon Thavrak of Cambodia, Prof. Dra. Tjitjik Srie Tjahjandarie of Indonesia, YBhg Prof. Dr. Nazamid bin Saari of Malaysia, Dr. Jose Camacho, Jr. of the Philippines, Prof. Dr. Dokrak Marod of Thailand, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Acacio Cardoso Amaral of Timor-Leste. Dr. Somphong Chanthavong of Lao People's Democratic Republic and Dr. Ye Tint Tun of Myanmar joined the meeting virtually.
Mr. John Arnold Siena, Deputy Director (Programme and Development), who represented the SEAMES Director Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, said the annual GB Meeting of SEAMEO centers "serves as a platform to reflect on and celebrate our achievements, discuss the progress of ongoing programs, and explore potential future initiatives."
"As we gather to discuss and further SEARCA's goals for its core programs and activities for the coming years, we reaffirm our commitment and support to each and every member country and institution in pursuing SEARCA's vision in ensuring the advancement and the development of agricultural institutions, not just in UPLB, not just for the Philippine government, but to our fellow Southeast Asian nation citizens, especially the farmers and our rural folks," said Dr. Camacho, who is Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) where the Philippine government is hosting SEARCA.
Assistant Secretary Georgina Ann Hernandez-Yang of the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), SEARCA's focal agency, joined the opening program of the meeting where she emphasized the urgent need to address aging farmer populations and declining youth interest in agriculture. Noting that these challenges are the same across countries in the region, she called for collaboration between education ministries and institutions to support SEARCA's Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN) strategy by integrating agricultural education into basic education curricula.
"I think the use of technology and innovation will also be a key factor that will encourage more young people to be involved in agriculture," said ASec. Yang.
She also expressed anticipation of DepEd's collaboration with SEARCA on micro-credentials and artificial intelligence (AI) in education as part of the SEAMEO Council Presidency's 7-7-7 Flagship Programs to enhance education systems and prepare the youth for future challenges.
These upcoming joint activities with DepEd complement SEARCA's intensified efforts to cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders as outlined by Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director, in the Center's accomplishment report.
In his report, Dr. Gregorio highlighted SEARCA's flagship projects, including the Center's Carbon Footprint Project, the Web-based Integrated Spatial Engine and Smart Ecosystem (WISE) Rice-based Carbon Farming Program, the Leveling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEIs-AFAR) initiative, youth engagement initiatives such as the Food is Life Exemplified for Planetary Health Diet: Mobile App Development Competition (FLExPHD) and the three-month Young Agripreneurs Building Opportunities, Nurturing Growth (YABONG) Bootcamp, as well as its ongoing programs in capacity development, research, publications, knowledge events, and strategic partnerships. Concurrently, the Center has been continuously optimizing its facilities and supporting the upskilling of its staff and, at the same time, judiciously managing its financial resources.
This year's GB meeting marked a definitive moment as the Board approved SEARCA's directions set its 12th FYDP, which will focus on "Carbon-WISE Agriculture: Winnable Innovative Solutions for the Environment."
The Board also approved the Center's core staffing and indicative budget for first three years of the 12th FYDP along with SEARCA's Accomplishment Report for FY 2023/2024, financial report for FY 2023/2024, and external auditor for the fiscal years 2024/2025 to 2028/2029.
In closing the meeting, Dr. Chew said, "We had a very good meeting today and yesterday. And this is how we should be. Be open to bring up matters and issues and, where necessary, we can agree to disagree, and we collectively understand that this is for the betterment of all in the region. It's important to remember that the Center should be at the forefront of our efforts. I believe that every staff member, including the director and deputy directors, has demonstrated this commitment."
"And I think as a GB member representing my country, I'm very proud to be associated with this excellent organization," he added.
Dr. Chew is succeeded by Dr. Thavrak of Cambodia as Chair, with Dr. Amaral of Timor-Leste as Vice Chair, both of whom will hold their positions for the next two years.
Brunei Darussalam has been nominated to be the host of the 73rd SEARCA GB Meeting in September 2025.
Also present at this year's GB Meeting were Dr. Nur Azura Adam, SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs; Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration; key SEARCA officers and staff; as well as guests from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Thailand who accompanied the representatives of said countries.