SEARCA News

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—Seventy review students preparing for the Licensure Examination for Agriculturists enrolled at Upstep Review Center, accompanied by two staff members, Ms. Anj Cordero and Ms. Joy Aira Bunan, visited the Southeast Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 28 August 2025. Founded in 2019, Upstep Review Center is a Los Baños, Laguna-based institution that seeks to raise the national passing rate in board examinations and empower the young generation of professionals who will serve as frontliners in various industries in the Philippines. This batch of reviewees hailed from different parts of the Philippines, representing… Read more

Fourteen undergraduate students from Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI), accompanied by Prof. Dr. Nina Nocon-Shimoguchi and Asst. Prof. Dongyool Kim 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 19 August 2025 for a briefing on the Center's programs and activities related to agribusiness development. For years now, SEARCA has hosted Tokyo NODAI students for their Philippine Field Practice, with this visit marking the 35th batch of students to take part in this enriching cross-cultural and… Read more

NUEVA ECIJA, Philippines—The 9th University Consortium Summer School (UC SS), hosted by Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the SEARCA-established Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC), brought together 26 graduate students from Southeast Asia, Iran, Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey in an immersive academic program held on 28 July–8 August 2025 at the CLSU campus in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. With the theme "Ridge to Reef: Integrated Management for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems," the program combined online… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — Multi-sector stakeholders from government, academe, industry, and farming communities gathered at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 8 August 2025 for the Seminar-Workshop on Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) Technology: Strengthening Policy Support for Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Rice Production in the Philippines, jointly organized by Bayer CropScience Philippines, SEARCA, and the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA). The seminar-workshop addressed the pressing challenges confronting the country's rice sector—labor shortages, climate change, high production costs, and the need to increase productivity while cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water use—by promoting… Read more

MANILA, Philippines—Key government officials and representatives of development institutions, civil society organizations, and grassroots movements will convene today, 11 August 2025, at the Joy-Nostalg Hotel & Suites for a high-level roundtable discussion (RTD) on land and resource governance in the Philippines themed "Towards Modernizing Agriculture and Attaining Peace and Security." Organized by the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), with support from Fair Finance Philippines, the event brings together diverse sectors to examine critical challenges surrounding land tenure security, resource management, and… Read more

PATTAYA CITY, Thailand—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) actively participated in the 2025 Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Centre Directors Meeting (CDM) held at the Amari Pattaya Hotel on 23–24 July 2025. SEARCA was represented by Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director; Dr. Nur Azura Binti Adam, Deputy Director for Programs; and Ms. Julie Ann Barril, Executive Coordinator of the Office of the Director. During the two-day meeting, SEARCA presented three working papers highlighting its ongoing and future initiatives. The working papers on the SEARCA Consortium for Agricultural Policy Research Initiatives… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) celebrated the academic achievements of its graduating scholars in FY 2024-2025 in a solemn and inspiring testimonial ceremony held on 17 July 2025 at the SEARCA Umali Auditorium and livestreamed via Zoom. The event recognized 39 full-degree scholars and 13 PhD research scholars from various study posts across Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, France and the Netherlands. The ceremony highlighted the scholars' dedication, resilience, and excellence in their respective fields. Dr. Nur Azura Binti Adam, SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs, warmly welcomed attendees and… Read more