LOS BAÑOS, Laguna: Education Secretary Leonor Briones led on Monday the formal investiture ceremony installing Glenn Gregorio as the 11th director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) at the agency's headquarters here.
As the head of Department of Education (DepEd), SEARCA's focal agency in the Philippines, Briones presided over the investiture ceremony of Gregorio, who assumed office in May.
At present, Gregorio is an academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Philippines and professor at the Institute of Crop Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)-College of Agriculture and Food Science. He was born and educated at Central Mindanao University in Musuan, Bukidnon.
Hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of UPLB, SEARCA is one of the oldest specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).
In 1966, SEARCA was founded to serve the agricultural and rural development needs of Southeast Asian countries through graduate education and training, research and knowledge dissemination.
In his investiture address, Gregorio, who is also a distinguished rice scientist, shared his vision for SEARCA and agriculture in Southeast Asia.
He spoke about the center's new strategic plan for the next five years that will focus on elevating the quality of life of agricultural families through sustainable and resilient livelihoods, and access to modern networks and markets.
"SEARCA commits to initiating academe-industry-government interconnectivity to become the leading enabler and champion of Agriculture 4.0 and rural development in Southeast Asia, and contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals," Gregorio said.
To SEARCA, Gregorio brings his wide experience from three decades of work with the International Rice Research Institute and later as the global lead of breeding programs of East-West Seeds Co. Inc.
The investiture ceremony was witnessed by members of the diplomatic corps in the Philippines, NAST, the Los Baños scientific community, partners of SEARCA from around and outside Southeast Asia in its work for agricultural and rural development, and members of the press.
Country representatives to the SEARCA governing board; the Bangkok-based SEAMEO secretariat director; SEARCA staff, scholars and former directors; and other officials also attended the ceremony.
The event has coincided with the opening of the 67th SEARCA Governing Board Meeting tackling SEARCA's 11th Five-Year Plan covering fiscal years 2020/2021 to 2024/2025.