Lao SEARCA scholars and members of the Lao Students Association of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) have formally called on the new SEARCA Director, Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr. (fourth from left) on 31 July 2009 at SEARCA. Mr. Outhai Soukkhy (third from right), a SEARCA scholar pursuing his PhD in Community Development, led the delegation in congratulating Dr. Saguiguit on his new post and expressed the Lao scholars’ hope that SEARCA would continue to give attention to the development needs of their country. Mr. Soukkhy presented an institutional gift to Dr. Saguiguit to mark the occasion, while Dr. Editha C. Cedicol, Manager, Graduate Scholarship Department, SEARCA (leftmost), and the other Lao SEARCA scholars pursuing their graduate programs at UPLB look on.