LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—Eighteen Grade 12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students of Reedley International School, accompanied by their teachers, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 28 January 2026. The field trip aimed to explore the role of robotics in agriculture.
Reedley International School is a private, nonsectarian, nontraditional, and co-educational school in Pasig City, Philippines, that combines progressive and traditional learning approaches. SEARCA has hosted Reedley International students since 2023.
During the visit, the students were given a tour of the SEARCA Hub for Agricultural and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation (SHARING) AgriMuseum, where they gained insights into Southeast Asia's agricultural history and landscape, stories of farm innovation, and agripreneurship products. They also enjoyed interactive games on Southeast Asian cuisine and beneficial farm insects. Through its SHARING facilities, the Center aims to ignite young people's passion for agriculture and rural development through these play-to-learn experiences.
Ms. Darlyn Angeles, Program Specialist at SEARCA's Emerging Innovation for Growth Department (EIGD), presented an agriculture situationer that underscored the sector's importance to people from all walks of life. She also showcased robotics applications in agriculture in the Philippines, featuring AGROTIS, a GPS-based navigation system that automates agricultural tractors created by professors and alumni from the University of Santo Tomas; the Robot for Optimized and Autonomous Mission-Enhancement Responses (ROAMER) of the Department of Science and Technology - Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), a prototype autonomous unmanned ground vehicle that can track, survey, and map banana farms; and Project B.L.U.E. (Breaking Limits for Underwater Exploration), a device developed by students of Dr. Yanga's Colleges in Bulacan that can detect harmful algal blooms in rivers that cause red tide.
Following the presentation, the students engaged in hands-on learning in agri-robotics using VEX robotics kit.
SEARCA hosts such educational visits to pique the next generation's interest and inspire them to pursue agriculture or related fields. By exposing students to real-world applications of robotics in farming and resource management, SEARCA seeks to cultivate future leaders who will champion sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate resilience across Southeast Asia.