Dr. Jesus "Gary" Domingo, undersecretary for civilian and consular affairs of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 18 March 2023.
The meeting explored potential collaborations between SEARCA and the Diplomatic League, the global youth, volunteer, and young professional engagement platform of DFA.
Usec. Domingo emphasized the youth's important role in innovating and securing the future of agriculture through building a transformative mindset. "The key to advancing this particular change in the youth is through their stomach. We are in the pipeline of developing projects and activities to promote an agroecosystem thinking in volunteerism and diplomacy," said Usec. Domingo.
He was also apprised of activities and programs of the SEARCA Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI), the Center's banner youth engagement initiative that aims to nurture young Southeast Asians as partners and leaders for agricultural innovation.
The undersecretary was accompanied by his youth advisers, Mr. Christian Mark Cardenas, Ms. Nina Evangeline Astoveza, and Ms. Melissa Villenna Ferrer. From SEARCA's end, they were received by Prof. Joselito Florendo, deputy director for administration; Dr. Nur Azura Adam, deputy director for programs; Ms. Sharon Malaiba, head of the Partnerships Unit (PU); and Mr. Nathan Felix, senior associate, public relations.
