SEARCA News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is set to convene the third session of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) on 15 April 2026, featuring the European Union (EU) Delegation to the Philippines. The session will spotlight EU-Philippines bilateral relations, providing a platform to discuss shared priorities and opportunities for collaboration. Building on the success of the first two MDS sessions, which featured diplomats from Thailand and Spain, the event continues SEARCA's efforts to broaden its discourse with international partners on global and regional issues that shape sustainable development across Southeast… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the College of Development Communication (CDC) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), piloted YES! (Your English Sidekick) Micro-credential. This new online initiative is designed to bolster the English language proficiency of SEARCA scholars. The initiative builds on SEARCA's established language support efforts, particularly the Basic English Course. Previously, this course offered month-long in-person training to new scholars as part of their onboarding before they arrive at their study posts. However, shifting needs saw fewer incoming scholars requiring face-to-face instruction… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is gearing up for the next session of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) on 16 April 2026, featuring the Embassy of Vietnam in the Philippines. The session will spotlight the country's strategies for sustainable agriculture and rural development, a timely topic amid regional efforts to strengthen resilience and foster innovation in agricultural systems. Continuing the momentum of previous installments featuring diplomatic officials from Thailand and Spain, the upcoming MDS will further broaden SEARCA's discourse with the international community on issues shaping agricultural and rural… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), and the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) formally launched the project titled Market Assessment of Selected Organic Export Crops in the Philippines through an inception meeting on 16 March 2026 at SEARCA in Los Baños, Laguna. The initiative follows the enactment of Republic Act No. 10068, the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, which sought to develop and promote organic agriculture in the Philippines. This measure was later amended by RA 11511 to establish a comprehensive organic agriculture program… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted the second installment of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) on 19 March 2026, featuring Economic and Commercial Counselor Silvia Torices de la Varga and Education Advisor Beatriz Jimeno Ortas of the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines. The session gathered officials and representatives from the Los Baños Science Community, academe, and partner institutions to deepen diplomatic and development cooperation between Spain and the Philippines, specifically in agriculture, education, and innovation. In her welcome remarks, SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla underscored Spain's development… Read more

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with EcoSecurities and the University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation Inc. (UPLBFI), conducted a two-day capacity-building workshop to advance climate-resilient agricultural finance. Titled "Data-Driven Parametric Crop Insurance for Corn: Loss Modeling, Climate Risk, and GIS-Based Payout Systems for PCIC," the workshop was held on 5–6 March 2026 at Microtel by Wyndham UP Technohub in Quezon City. The event brought together technical staff from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and partner institutions to enhance their technical capabilities in developing innovative parametric crop… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is set to host the second Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) on 19 March 2026, in partnership with the Embassy of Spain in Manila. The event aims to highlight the deepening bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Spain, particularly in the areas of economics and education. It will be held at the SEARCA Umali Auditorium at 10:00 a.m. (GMT +8:00). Launched on 23 February 2026 as SEARCA's newest knowledge-sharing platform, the MDS opened with its inaugural session featuring Her Excellency Makawadee Sumitmor, Ambassador of the… Read more