SEARCA News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—Twenty-six scholars of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam completed the five-day customized training on "Beyond the Journal Article: Scientific Writing for Policy and Wider Scholarly Engagement," held on 27-31 July 2026 at SEARCA. The training equipped master's and PhD scholars with practical skills for transforming their thesis or dissertation research into publication plans, policy briefs, and book chapter proposals, thereby broadening the reach and impact of their research. Held under the Center's Graduate-on-Time (GOT) Program, the training was organized in partnership… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—School feeding programs in Southeast Asia could do more than improve children's nutrition. With procurement systems designed to include local producers, these major public investments could also create more reliable markets for smallholder farmers and strengthen rural economies, according to a new policy brief published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). The SEARCA policy brief, titled "Integrating Smallholder Agriculture into School Feeding Programs: Addressing the Agri-Health Disconnect," examines how school feeding programs can better connect public nutrition spending with local agricultural development. The brief grew out of cross-border research undertaken… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) featured Dr. Robert Meeder, Strategic Director and Co-Founder of The Institute for Future Creations, at its Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on 17 August 2026. Speaking on "From Compliance to Competitive Advantage: Transparency, Digital Product Passports, and the Future of Responsible Trade," Meeder outlined how digital product passports and blockchain technology can empower producers in the Global South. Meeder provided an overview of the European Union's Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements, following the launch of the DPP Registry in July 2026. By 2030, all… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has opened applications for the SEARCA Youth Ambassadors Program (SAYAP) for Sustainable Agrifood Systems. This new initiative seeks to develop a generation of innovative and systems-oriented young leaders equipped to advance the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems in Southeast Asia. SAYAP is aligned with SEARCA’s Education, Capacity Building, and Youth Engagement priority area under its 12th Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP), themed Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia). As a regional catalyst for agricultural and rural transformation, SEARCA recognizes… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—Research supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is showing why farmers need a stronger voice in deciding which crop varieties move from experimental fields into their farms and markets. Findings from a study led by Mr. Mark Anthony Parducho, a recipient of the SEARCA Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT), form the basis of a new SEARCA policy brief calling for agricultural agencies to look beyond yield when selecting and promoting maize varieties. Titled "Moving Beyond Yield: Institutionalizing Participatory Varietal Selection for Farmer-Preferred Maize in Laguna, Philippines," publication… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) featured two distinguished experts at its Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on 28 July 2026, themed "Resilient and Profitable Crops under Climate Change: What Works for Smallholder Farmers?" The speakers were Mr. Joseph Manicad, Director of the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) and Dr. Antonio Lalusin, Professor at the Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). In his presentation, Manicad highlighted the importance of high-value crops… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—Eighteen undergraduate agribusiness students from Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI), accompanied by Prof. Dr. Nina Nocon-Shimoguchi and faculty members from the Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship, University of the Philippines Los Baños, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 10 August 2026 to learn about the Center's programs and initiatives. Nocon-Shimoguchi expressed appreciation for the long-standing partnership between Tokyo NODAI and SEARCA, noting that 2026 marks the 27th year of the university's Philippine Field Practice. She also highlighted how the visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the… Read more

Twenty-seven incoming SEARCA scholars from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste completed a five-week synchronous consultation program held every Friday from 3 to 31 July 2026 via Zoom. The sessions complemented the 2026 YES! Your English Sidekick Micro-credential (YES! MC) and prepared the scholars for academic, social, and intercultural communication situations they may encounter at their respective study posts. The YES! MC is offered online and asynchronously to incoming SEARCA scholars who are non-native English speakers. Its self-paced modules focus on strengthening foundational skills in grammar, writing, and reading. To complement the asynchronous modules, SEARCA's Education and Collective… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted the fifth session of its Meet the Diplomat Series on 29 July 2026, featuring Her Excellency Yuliia Fediv, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of the Philippines. Following four successful installments featuring diplomatic representatives from Thailand, Spain, Vietnam, and the European Union, the Ukraine session focused on expanding agricultural markets, strengthening bilateral trade, and academic collaboration between Ukraine and the Philippines. In her presentation titled "Between the Skies and Planes," Fediv provided an overview of Ukraine's national profile and rich cultural… Read more

CHIANG RAI, Thailand—Dr. Jihan Santanina Santiago-Alumbro, a faculty member of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) School of Technology (SOTECH) completed the FMFC International Training Programme: Integrating the Healthy Foods Value Chain: From Local to Functional Claim at Mae Fah Luang University (MFU) in Chiang Rai, Thailand on 1–15 July 2026 through a Faculty Mobility Grant from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Her participation supports UPV's internationalization efforts and strengthens its engagement in functional food innovation. Dr. Alumbro joined participants from across Southeast Asia in a two-week program designed to strengthen… Read more