PASIG CITY, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) formalized their mutual understanding to partner in areas of common interest, such as education, capacity building, and research, in a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) held on 27 May 2024 at UA&P in Ortigas.
Dr. Marya Svetlana Camacho, vice president for Faculty Affairs, and Dr. Winston Conrad Padojinog, president, both of UA&P; and Dr. Glenn Gregorio, center director, and Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, deputy director for administration, both of SEARCA.
The signatories to the five-year MOU are SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio and Dr. Winston Conrad Padojinog, UA&P president, with Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, SEARCA deputy director for administration, and Dr. Marya Svetlana Camacho, UA&P vice president for Faculty Affairs, as witnesses.
UA&P is a private, not-for-profit institution of higher learning that offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, emphasizing a strong liberal arts foundation and professional specialization. SEARCA and UA&P share common priority areas, such as food security and agribusiness.
In her welcome remarks, Dr. Camacho provided the attendees with a background on the initial discussions that UA&P had with SEARCA which led to the signing of the MOU. She shared her hope that, in line with the shared interests between SEARCA and UA&P, the partnership would also flourish into a friendship between institutions.
"This partnership is a strategic milestone that promises numerous benefits not only for our respective institutions but [also] for the broader community in which both our institutions serve," Dr. Padojinog said in his opening message. He also mentioned that UA&P stands to benefit from partnering with SEARCA through enhancement of their programs and initiatives especially in the field of agribusiness. UA&P shares with SEARCA the commitment to include sustainable development and agricultural advancement to address critical challenges in Southeast Asia agribusiness and food security.
Responding on behalf of SEARCA, Dr. Gregorio echoed forming strategic alliances with institutions such as UA&P to create programs or further enhance existing initiatives aimed at addressing challenges on food security and nutrition in the region. He mentioned some of SEARCA's involvement in projects that highlight academe-industry-government interconnectivity under the Center's 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP) on Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN). These include the formulation of the Philippines' National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan 2021–30, co-published by the Department of Agriculture (DA) with SEARCA, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and SyCip Gorres Velayo Co. (SGV) / Ernst & Young Philippines (EYP). Dr. Gregorio hopes that SEARCA and UA&P's mutual interests will continue as the former moves toward crafting its 12th FYP.
Joining the event were Filipino economist Dr. Bernardo Villegas (seated row; second from right) and key staff from SEARCA, including the Partnerships Unit (PU) led by Ms. Sharon Malaiba (standing row; fourth from right), and from UA&P, including the Center for Food and Agri-Business (CFA) led by Dr. Senen Reyes (standing row; third from right).
Filipino economist Dr. Bernardo Villegas, professor and the research director of the Center for Research and Communication (CRC) of UA&P, graced the event and shared his excitement about science, business, and economics getting together in this partnership. Capitalizing on UA&P's strength in economics and business and SEARCA's in science and agriculture, collaborations following the MOU signing would contribute to the ongoing efforts to address agriculture and economic challenges in the Philippines and beyond. To end the program, Dr. Villegas provided insights on four areas where he sees SEARCA and UA&P partnership to focus. These areas are consolidation, product diversification, industrialization, and digitalization.
The MOU marks the beginning of joint efforts of SEARCA and UA&P, combining their expertise and resources to effectively respond to the needs of the region.