SEARCA in the News

THE Department of Education (DepEd) has expressed support for the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture’s (Searca) advocacy to strengthen academe-industry-government interconnectivity for agricultural development. This was reiterated during Searca’s investiture rites for Glenn Gregorio as the 11th Searca director presided by Education Secretary Leonor Briones on October 28 at the center’s headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna. Gregorio assumed office as Searca director in May and has since led the center in crafting its strategic plan for the next five years, from 2020 to 2025. In her keynote address, Briones affirmed she supports the focus… Read more

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) have renewed their partnership in integrating and mainstreaming biodiversity into agriculture. ACB executive director Theresa Mundita Lim said the partnership is being continued to further their efforts in mainstreaming biodiversity in agriculture in the region. “Mainstreaming is important because of the inextricable connection between agriculture and biodiversity. Together, our organizations can work to strike the balance between the two,” she said. The ACB chief said agrobiodiversity— the variety and variability of animals, plants, and micro-organisms that are used directly or… Read more

Cambodian photographers, both amateurs and professionals across all ages, have until Nov. 30, 2019 to beat the submission deadline for the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Photo Contest 2019, said the centre in a press release. The photo contest is open to all nationals of Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, it pointed out. With the theme "Cultivating Southeast Asia's Youth Agripreneurs," this year's SEARCA Photo Contest zooms in on vibrant images that depict enterprising and innovative youth in Southeast Asia who are actively… Read more

Los Baños, Laguna—The newly installed Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture 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. SEARCA held investiture rites for Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio as the 11th SEARCA Director presided by Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones on Oct. 28 at the Center's headquarters here. A distinguished rice scientist and academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines, Dr. Gregorio is also currently a Professor at the University of the… Read more

LOS BANOS, Laguna, Nov. 6 -- The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) renewed their partnership in integrating and mainstreaming biodiversity into agriculture. ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim and SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio signed the second Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for institutional cooperation in a ceremony held at the SEARCA hotel at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on Monday night. The MOU is a continuation of the collaboration between the two organizations in pursuing their shared objectives of promoting sustainable agriculture and biodiversity… Read more

For the Department of Education (DepEd), the interest in agriculture should start at the basic education level so learners would have “lasting” passion about it. “For us in the Department of Education, it is most important to promote agriculture to our youth by integrating it in basic education programs,” said Education Secretary Leonor Briones in her message when she presided over the investiture of the new Southeast East Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Opening Ceremony of the 67th SEARCA Governing Board Meeting held recently at the Umali Auditorium, the University of the Philippines… Read more

LOS BANOS, Laguna, Nov. 4 -- DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones presided the investiture of the new Southeast East Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Opening Ceremony of the 67th SEARCA Governing Board Meeting on October 28, held at the Umali Auditorium, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Laguna. In her message, the Education Secretary emphasized the crucial role of SEARCA in the agricultural development of the country and the ASEAN region. “The agricultural sector is vital to all ASEAN countries; we always assume that it is important. It is a major portion… Read more

"We have to make agriculture not only sexy, but [with] lots of fun, exciting and [with] so much to discover. After all, agriculture is life…. We have to inculcate the love for agriculture, the love for life at the basic level. It would be too late if we try to convert them at the tertiary level." Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones made this statement in her keynote address during the investiture of Dr. Glenn Gregorio as the 11th director of Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) at the center's headquarters in University of the… Read more

The newly installed director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has envisioned his agency'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). This, as SEARCA recently held the investiture rites for Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio as the 11th SEARCA Director. A distinguished rice scientist and Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Philippines, Gregorio is also currently a Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). He brings to SEARCA his wide… Read more

THE Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MoA) is preparing the requests for proposal (RFP) to determine the capabilities of a few companies to protect the nation's food supply. Its Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said the RFP will be tabled to the Cabinet for approval before interested companies are invited to participate. "We are preparing the RFP. Once it is completed, we will table it to the Cabinet to seek approval before we could present it to the interested parties," he said at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute's (Mardi) 50th Celebration in Serdang, Selangor, yesterday. Salahuddin said… Read more