Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Republic of the Philippines, His Excellency Tull Traisorat (front right) and his staff pose with the SEARCA delegation.
His Excellency Tull Traisorat, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Republic of the Philippines, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 31 May 2024 to discuss collaboration on celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Philippine-Thailand diplomatic relations. He was accompanied by Mr. Rangsant Srimangkorn, minister and deputy chief of mission, and Mr. Witsarut Piyavongsomboon, first secretary.
Ambassador Traisorat lauded SEARCA's significant contribution to agriculture development and food security in the Southeast Asian region, specifically in Thailand. He also expressed gratitude to the Center for its continuous support of the Thai people through capacity-building initiatives, such as scholarships and training grants.
With the theme "Moving Forward to A New Era of Closer Friendship and Common Prosperity," the Ambassador emphasized that the year-long commemoration will highlight activities that underscore people-to-people connectivity. He invited SEARCA to participate in various events, including the celebration on 14 June 2024 and a symposium in August 2024.
To encapsulate the people-to-people connectivity concept, SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio suggested organizing a symposium that would include organizations within the Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines science community that have collaborated or are collaborating with Thailand. He also proposed organizing a networking lunch on exploring public-private partnerships, inviting Team Thailand Plus, which comprises Thai officers in the Philippines under the Royal Thai Embassy Manila, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Defense Attaché, and Navy Attaché, the Thai conglomerates investing in the Philippines, and SEARCA's network of institutions. Additionally, Ambassador Traisorat said SEARCA and the Embassy can collaborate on an anniversary exhibition.
The Ambassador shared insights from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s collaborative project with the Philippine Department of Education to promote better nutrition and health among young students. Six Philippine schools were selected as participating schools, which implement a "sufficiency economy philosophy" in their rice and vegetable farms, fishponds, and hydroponic facilities. Sufficiency economy philosophy is based on Thailand's fundamental principles of moderation, prudence, and social immunity. The students harvest and sell the produce, then pool the proceeds into a central fund for the school's use. This successful model has been expanded to the households of students and teachers as well as to the community. The Ambassador showed keen interest in discussing this initiative with SEARCA and exploring the possibility of including these schools in the anniversary exhibition.
In response, Dr. Gregorio imparted the success of SEARCA's School-Plus-Home Garden Program (S+HGP) and its offshoot projects on biodiversity enhancement and enterprise development. SEARCA will invite the schools participating in the Princess’s project to upcoming S+HGP activities.
Dr. Glenn Gregorio (second from the left), SEARCA Center director, presents a mini replica of the Center's Growth Monument to His Excellency Tull Traisorat (center), while Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo (leftmost), deputy director for administration; Mr. Rangsant Srimangkorn (second from the right), minister and deputy chief of mission; and Mr. Witsarut Piyavongsomboon (rightmost), first secretary, look on.
The delegation was welcomed by Dr. Gregorio; Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, deputy director for administration; Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, senior program head of the Education and Collective Learning Department; Atty. Eric Reynoso, program head of the Emerging Innovation for Growth Department; Ms. Sharon Malaiba, head of the Partnerships Unit (PU); Ms. Beatrisa Martinez, executive coordinator, Office of the Director (OD); Ms. Corinta Guerta, technical advisor, OD; Ms. Danellie Joy Medina, program associate from the Research and Thought Leadership Department; and key PU staff. The Ambassador was also given a tour of the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation (SHARING) AgriMuseum.
His Excellency Tull Traisorat tours the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation (SHARING) AgriMuseum.