SEARCA Director Arsenio M. Balisacan

As SEARCA turns forty plus one this year, it is enriching its offerings by launching one more grant, the Dioscoro L. Umali (DLU) award.

The DLU award is named after SEARCA's first director who had been a prime mover of agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia in his time and whose quest for scholarship and excellence in agriculture fueled his vision for a progressive Southeast Asia. It intends to put agriculture in high profile by recognizing exemplary individuals who have advanced agricultural development in Southeast Asia. It is expected to be given annually, and comes with a cash prize of US$10,000.

Also to be announced during the anniversary day are the winners of the Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT). SEARCA awards the SFRT grant to any project which falls within the Center’s priority thrust of Natural Resource Management and Agricultural Competitiveness. The proposed project should be innovative and should be accompanied by an appropriate plan for developing it into a potentially large-scale research/training program greatly relevant to the agricultural and development needs of the region.

The SFRT grantees for this year include two from Indonesia, one from Lao PDR, three from Vietnam, and three from the Philippines. It carries with it a cash grant of  a maximum of  $15,000.

Former Phil. President Fidel V. Ramos

SEARCA Director, Dr. Arsenio M. Balisacan, leads the management and staff in celebrating the SEARCA’s 41st anniversary on November 27, 2007. In reflecting 41 years of SEARCA being in the development arena, Dr. Balisacan firmly believes that the fight against poverty can be won, but only “with much sacrifice, patience, and discipline, as well as a real honest-to-goodness desire and determination to do what is right for the greater good.” (lcm@agri.searca.org, KMU).