On behalf of SEARCA Director Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., Dr. Virginia R. Cardenas, Deputy Director for Administration, welcomed the authors to the Workshop. She emphasized the significance of the project to Southeast Asia’s agricultural and rural development and highlighted the purpose of the book as a guide to action for various stakeholders.
The Workshop, made possible by the Research and Development Department, focused on the presentation of the first draft of the authors’ chapter assignments. The workshop was a valuable opportunity for the authors to present their ideas and comments and share resources and materials. Plans were clearly laid out regarding the schedule and all other future actions concerning the book.
Seven of the ten authors of the ARD Book, whose knowledge and diverse experiences have been tapped, participated in the event: SEARCA Fellows Dr. Cielito F. Habito, Professor of Economics, Ateneo de Manila University; Dr. Percy E. Sajise, Honorary Research Fellow, Bioversity International; and Dr. Doris Capistrano, Regional Advisor to ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change; Dr. Nipon Poapongsakorn, Distinguished Fellow and Acting Program Director of Thailand Development Research Institute Foundation; Dr. Larry Wong, Program Director of Technology, Innovation, Environment and Sustainability (TIES), Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia; Dr. Lourdes S. Adriano, Former Lead Agriculture Specialist of Asian Development Bank; and Dr. Jonna P. Estudillo, Professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Japan (via video conference). Dr. Bessie M. Burgos, Program Head; Ms. Carmen Nyhria G. Rogel, Program Specialist; and Ms. Millicent Joyce Q. Pangilinan, Project Associate, from SEARCA’s Research and Development Department, provided assistance and support during the workshop.
Consisting of six chapters, the ARD book will focus on four main themes, namely: Inclusive Growth, Sustainability, Institutions and Governance, and Regional/Sub-regional Integration. The publication will be launched in November 2016 in conjunction with SEARCA’s 50th anniversary. (Milli Pangilinan)