SEARCA News

Catanauan, Quezon – Following the preliminary activities such as foresight scanning, planning workshop, and project proposal development, the team from the Southeast Asian Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) headed by Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head, joined by Ms. Anna Gale C. Vallez, Program Specialist; Ms. Ruth Jazrel M. Bandong, Project Associate; and Ms. Blanquita R. Pantoja, Technical Coordinator; all of the Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD) visited the site in Catanauan, Quezon to conduct the initial scoping activity for the baseline assessment for the project titled, Development of Coconut Industry Growth Areas in the… Read more

The Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD) conducted a Special Graduate Seminar on 29 April 2022 with Dr. Nguyen Thanh Trung from the Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA). Dr. Trung shared his PhD research on Enhancing Soil Fertility and Sustainable Agricultural Production Using Legume-based Intercropping in Northern Mountainous Areas of Vietnam. Dr. Trung is an alumnus under the SEARCA Full MS/PhD research scholarship. He earned his PhD in Tropical Agriculture from Kasetsart University, Thailand in 2021. Dr. Trung talked about the importance of Cassava in Vietnam… Read more

A delegation from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) led by its Director, Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, presented to Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Singapore’s Minister for Education and current President of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Council (SEAMEC), the Center’s programs and activities in the region during his first virtual visit to the Philippines on 18 April 2022 via Zoom. Apart from SEARCA, the SEAMEC President was received by the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) led by Secretary Leonor M. Briones, who is also the SEAMEC Vice President; the SEAMEO… Read more

Her Excellency Răduţa Dana Matache, Ambassador of Romania to the Philippines, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 12 April 2022. She was received by Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director; Assoc. Prof. Joselito G. Florendo, SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration; Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, Senior Program Head, Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD); Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head, Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD); Asst. Prof. Glenn N. Baticados, Program Head, Emerging Innovation for Growth Department (EIGD); Dr. Romeo V. Labios, Operations Consultant for Partnerships; and Ms. Corinta C… Read more

In a world that is fast becoming more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, climate change, and other pressing realities, the need to reshape agricultural research and development in Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) has only become increasingly urgent. HEIs, which play a major role in achieving national and global development targets, can address this need by becoming champions of transformational agriculture and rural development through research projects that promote food security and sustainable agriculture. But amid competing priorities and limited resources, how can HEIs make their research more appealing and thus, fundable?… Read more

In continuing to capacitate Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) in the agriculture, fisheries, and natural resources (AFNR), the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), with the College of Development Communication of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB-CDC), commenced the Online Training on Scientific Writing and Presentation for HEIs in the Philippines (SciWriting4HEIs) on 19 April 2022 via the SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagements (SOLVE) Platform. The training program is the fifth offering under the Leveling Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR), funded by the… Read more

ORIENTAL MINDORO, Philippines – In May 2021, a virtual signing of the Letter of Agreement (LoA) between the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Mindoro State University (MinSU) was done on the establishment of the techno-demo-learning site for calamansi research. This undertaking took off from the gains of the SEARCA and the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR)-funded project, “Upgrading the Calamansi Value Chain towards Improving the Calamansi Industry of Oriental Mindoro.” The learning site was situated at MinSU’s Calamansi Research and Development Center. A year after the signing… Read more

In recognition of their outstanding contributions toward Accelerating Transformation through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN), SEARCA awarded four Southeast Asian academicians with the SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair Grant for AY 2022-2023. The grantees are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Khairunniza Bejo and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Helmi Zulhaidi Mohd Shafri from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sirikachorn Tangkawattana from Khon Kaen University (KKU), Thailand, and Dr. Renato G. Reyes from Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Philippines. They are entitled to a grant of USD 5,000.00 each. Dr. Siti Khairunniza Bejo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering… Read more

Felta Multimedia Inc., official distributor of Lego education materials and robotics in the Philippines, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to train selected representatives from each unit and department of the organization on 7 April 2022. This is the second on-site InnovEIGhts ideation session on Lego education robotics and it was the first event held at the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation (SHARING) Café. The ideation session, titled “Brewing Education and Creativity AGRI 4.0,” brought together 20 SEARCA staff and three Lego robotics trainers. The basics… Read more

Province of Quezon – For the first time in two years, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) came face to face with the Provincial Government of Quezon (PG Quezon) to discuss the progress of the collaborative action research project on the Development of Coconut Industry Growth Areas in the Province of Quezon on 7 April 2022 in Pagbilao and Lucena, Quezon. The meeting was spearheaded by Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head; Ms. Anna Gale C. Vallez; Program Specialist; Ms. Rochella B. Lapitan, Senior Program Associate; and Ms. Ruth Jazrel M. Bandong, Project… Read more