The signatories to the Letter of Agreement (LOA) between SEARCA and Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) for the implementation of the School Edible Landscaping for Entrepreneurship (SEL4E) Project in Rizal, Philippines are Mr. Sebastian Quiniones, Jr. (left) PSFI Executive Director, and Dr. Glenn Gregorio (right), SEARCA Director.
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) on 14 February 2023 at the Palms Country Club, Muntinlupa, Philippines.
Under the agreement, SEARCA and PSFI will implement the School Edible Landscaping for Entrepreneurship (SEL4E) Project in Rizal, Philippines together with the Synergy Group Operations, Inc. (SGOI).
"Working with academe and research institutions like SEARCA is a great way of ensuring that we have the latest technologies and modalities in terms of what we can provide to our beneficiaries," said Mr. Sebastian Quiniones, Jr., PSFI Executive Director.
"This synergy with PSFI demonstrates SEARCA's efforts to foster stronger academe-industry-government interconnectivity towards smarter agriculture to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This very much aligns with our strategic plan of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN)," emphasized Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA Director.
The signatories to the LOA were Dr. Gregorio and Mr. Quiniones, Jr., with Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration, and Mr. Timothy James Laurel, PSFI Program Director and Ms. Maria Pamela Castro, PSFI Senior Program Manager, as witnesses.
PSFI is the social arm of Shell group of companies in the Philippines and builds capacities of vulnerable sectors in the country by closely working together with its partners and stakeholders in contributing to the nation's sustainable development.
Other SEARCA staff in attendance during the signing ceremony were Dr. Nur Azura Adam, Deputy Director for Programs; Dr. Gerlie Tatlonghari, Program Head, and Ms. Anna Gale Vallez, Program Specialist, both of the Research and Thought Leadership Department; Dr. Nova Ramos, Head, and Ms. Rosario Bantayan, Program Specialist, both of the Training for Development Unit; Ms. Beatrisa Martinez, Executive Coordinator, Office of the Director; and Ms. Leah Lyn Domingo, Specialist, Public Relations, and Mr. Nathan Felix, Senior Associate, Public Relations, both of the Partnerships Unit.