LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU) in a virtual ceremony held on 22 October 2025.
Established in 1979 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CIRDAP promotes regional cooperation in integrated rural development and operates through designated ministries and link institutions.
The alliance began in 2014, when SEARCA and CIRDAP signed a three-year MOU for institutional cooperation, committing to develop joint programs, projects, and capacity building activities, as well as exchange materials, publications, and information.
Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, highlighted the timeliness and importance of the partnership renewal and underscored the alignment of the Center's 12th Five-Year Development Plan focused on Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia) with CIRDAP's commitment to integrated rural development and poverty alleviation.
“With our shared priorities, guided by the outcomes of SEARCA's new strategic plan, we will work together to create opportunities for farmers' income; champion policies for food and nutrition security; advance and scale-up climate-resilient farming systems; and empower farmers, youth, and rural institutions by building their capacity to adopt digital tools and help lead sustainable transformation in the region," Sombilla remarked.
Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, and Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, Deputy Director for Administration, present the signed MOU during the virtual signing ceremony.
She expressed her desire to elevate the partnership by pursuing more collaborative projects and introduced SEARCA's regional initiatives and highlighted opportunities for synergy.
On education and capacity –building, she highlighted the Erasmus+-funded Postgraduate Micro-credentials for Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC), which aims to deliver flexible, learner-centered micro-credential courses, and short-term training on leadership and agri-innovation under the Leadership Development Program for Higher Education Institutions (LDP-HEIs), the Executive Program for Leaders in Asian Agriculture and Development (LAAD), and the SEARCA Agri-Innovator Program (AIP).
On innovation, she highlighted the Rice Straw Biogas Hub (RSBH), a collaborative climate mitigation initiative in the Philippines funded by Innovate UK, as well as the Grants for Research toward Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS), which provide seed funding to researchers, scientists, inventors, and agripreneurs to help scale technologies or innovation models.
Regarding research, she discussed several regional projects, including Nature-based Climate Solutions in Aquaculture Food Systems in Asia-Pacific (AQUADAPT) and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry in ASEAN Region (LULUCF). She also mentioned CIRDAP's potential membership in SEARCA's Consortium for Agricultural Policy Research Initiatives (CAPRI), a platform for evidence-based agricultural policy innovation and transformation in Southeast Asia.
In response, Dr. P. Chandra Shekara, CIRDAP Director General, noted that seven of their 15 member countries are also members of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), SEARCA's mother organization. He proposed immediate steps for collaboration, such as exchanging publications and opening capacity building programs and learning events to each other's networks.
The virtual ceremonial signing was attended by CIRDAP officials and staff, including Dr. Ganga Dutta Acharya, Director for Research; Dr. Babu Kaji Thapa, Programme Officer for Research; Dr. Venkatamallu Thadaboina, Programme Officer for Learning; Mr. F.A.M. Zakirul Huq, Head of Administration and Officer-in-Charge of the Learning and Knowledge Management Division; Mr. Shishir Saha, Finance Officer; and Ms. Hurain Jannat, Communication Officer. Also present were SEARCA officials and staff, including Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, Deputy Director for Programs; Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, Deputy Director for Administration; Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, Senior Program Head for Education and Collective Learning; Dr. Gerlie Tatlonghari, Program Head for Research and Thought Leadership; and Directorate staff.
Through this renewal of partnership, SEARCA and CIRDAP reaffirm their dedication to empowering rural communities and driving transformative change in Southeast Asia and beyond.