SEARCA News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), conducted the training on Financial Viability and Profitability Analysis of Agricultural Technologies and Enterprises for the fourth batch of participants on 21-25 October 2019 at the SEARCA Headquarters. A total of 24 selected personnel from state universities and colleges (SUCs), local government units (LGUs), DA Regional Offices and attached agencies, and DA-BAR participated in the training. The training aimed to provide knowledge and improve the skills of the research personnel from… Read more

The newly installed Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) envisions the Center's strategic role in pushing for inclusive innovation and academe-industry-government interconnectivity towards Agriculture 4.0 and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SEARCA held investiture rites for Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio as the 11th SEARCA Director presided by Philippine Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones on 28 October 2019 at the Center's headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. A distinguished rice scientist and Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Philippines, Dr. Gregorio is also currently… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – SEARCA, through the Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD), invites interested Southeast Asian nationals to apply for SEARCA's PhD Research Scholarship. The scholarship grant, which was first offered in 2005, provides financial support to qualified PhD students to conduct research relevant to the priority thrusts of SEARCA such as Social Inclusion in Agriculture and Rural Development, Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, Regional and Sub-regional Cooperation, and Institutions and Governance. Deadline of submission of applications is on 20 December 2019. For more information on scholarship benefits and the application procedure, visit: https://www.searca.org/phd-research-scholarship… Read more

Almost six months after Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio took the helm, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) will honor him as its new Director with a formal investiture ceremony on 28 October 2019 at its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. Hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), SEARCA is one of the oldest specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). SEARCA was founded in 1966 to serve the agricultural and rural development needs of Southeast Asian countries through… Read more

SEARCA headquarters, Philippines – "Working with women social scientists in developing plant varieties taught me to look at science holistically, not only at the plant but the farmer." Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director and renowned rice breeder, shared this life-long lesson in being a scientist from equally renowned former colleagues, notably the late national scientist and distinguished sociologist, Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, during the launch and seminar for the book titled Gender Dimension of Climate Change Research in Agriculture: Case Studies in Southeast Asia. "They were the social scientists who told us to put a human face to science,"… Read more

STUTTGART, Germany – A Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) delegation joined experts, students, and practitioners to tackle various perspectives, solutions, and challenges to global food security and trade at the World Food Day Colloquium held here on 16 October 2019. The colloquium, with the theme “Food Security and Trade in the Period of Change and Innovation,” is an annual event organized by the Food Security Center (FSC) of the University of Hohenheim. Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, SEARCA Program Head for Research and Development, presented the Southeast Asian experience on the enablers of inclusive… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – SEARCA scholars participated in a sing-off event organized by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Language Instruction Towards Excellence (LITE) Program on 14 October 2019. "Sounds of the English Language: The Karaoke King and Queen Challenge" was conducted by the LITE program as part of the students' speech class activity. Scholars Hoang Le Huong sang Donna Donna by Joan Baez, Candle Sidthisone sang You and I by Scorpions, Thant Mon Paing sang The Day You Went Away by M2M, Simao Margono Belo sang Send Me the Pillow by… Read more

"With enlightened moderation on both sides, we can enjoy the best of both worlds and make organic and inorganic farming work in the Philippine context." Thus concluded Dr. Emil Q. Javier, National Scientist, in his presentation during the Forum on Organic and Inorganic Farming organized by the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines, Inc. (CAMP), in partnership with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), and the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)… Read more

A Senior Fellow and four former scholars of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) were among the awardees of the University of the Philippines Los Baños Alumni Association (UPLBAA) for 2019. The UPLBAA honored Dr. Cielito F. Habito, SEARCA Senior Fellow, with the Presidential Award, its highest accolade. He was recognized for his contributions to shaping sound economic policies for the Philippines and other countries in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, and to promoting economic literacy through his writings. Currently, he is a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University and chair of the… Read more

SEOUL, Korea – Even with the use of genetic modification—including genomic selection and molecular marker-assisted breeding—to improve certain traits of plants, crop improvement is a long process of developing a commercially ready product. "Many are impatient with this process and offer better techniques and tools to shorten the process, but still fail in the implementation of a new breeding program," said Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), an eminent rice scientist, and a member of the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). Speaking at the… Read more