SEARCA News

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Partnerships Unit, and the United Laboratories, Inc. (Unilab), the leading pharmaceutical company in the Philippines, conducted a half-day Seminar on Health and Financial Literacy for Smallholder Farmers held on 16 October 2023 at the SEARCA Drilon Hall. The seminar, attended by 17 farmers from Timugan, Los Baños, Laguna, aimed to educate and inspire farmers to make informed decisions in their financial endeavors, marketing strategies, and daily dietary habits. In his welcome remarks, Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, SEARCA deputy director for administration, gave an overview of… Read more

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) educators and practitioners from six countries have completed a blended course on climate-smart villages (CSV), which was jointly conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) in September 2023 via Zoom and onsite in the Philippines. Titled Climate-Smart Villages as Platforms for Community-Level Anticipatory Climate Adaptation to Improve Food Security and Resiliency: A Roving Workshop, the blended course started with 22 participants in a two-day webinar on 19-20 September 2023. Renowned speakers on agriculture, nutrition, food systems, community innovations, and nature-based solutions… Read more

Dr. Pheak Sothea, deputy director general for administration, Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction, Cambodia, paid a courtesy visit to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 9 October 2023. Dr. Sothea is a former SEARCA scholar who earned his MS and PhD in Community Development from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in 2006 and 2010, respectively. His homecoming coincided with his recognition as one of the 2023 UPLB College of Public Affairs and Development (CPAf) Distinguished Alumni. During his visit, Dr. Sothea reminisced about his student days… Read more

The 5th UC Faculty Forum, with a theme Sustainable Agriculture Under Changing Climate, has recently gathered faculty researchers to share and discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities in agriculture in the context of a changing climate. The event was held on 20–21 September 2023 in Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines. The Forum was the first major event hosted and co-organized by the Visayas State University (VSU) for the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC). The opening ceremony was graced by key officials of the UC led by Dr. Edgardo Tulin, VSU president, Dr. Glenn… Read more

The two international journals published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) have been recently listed in the 2023 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) of Clarivate Analytics, a prestigious listing of international journals that shows the trustworthiness of a journal in the science and academic community. In the JCR, the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) received a 1.7 journal impact factor (JIF), while the SABRAO Journal of Breeding and Genetics had a 1.4 JIF. AJAD is SEARCA's official international refereed journal. On the other hand, the SABRAO Journal of Breeding and Genetics… Read more

For its 17th year, the annual photo contest launched by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) zooms in on Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering "global boiling". The competition is open to Filipinos and nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. The theme aims to highlight technologies and practices in agriculture that help mitigate worsening effects of climate change so much so that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres alerted the public on 21 July 2023 saying, "we are past the era of global warming and we are now… Read more

CATANAUAN, QUEZON, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) organized a one-day training-workshop on organizational development for coconut farmer associations under the project, Development of the Coconut Industry Growth Areas in the Province of Quezon in Catanauan, Quezon on 26 September 2023. The event was co-organized with the Provincial Government of Quezon through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Region IV, with support from the Municipal Government of Catanauan through the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA). The program, tailored to the specific needs of the province's coconut… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) have jointly offered virtual learning sessions on climate-smart villages (CSVs) on 19–20 September 2023 via Zoom. The sessions were part of an eight-day blended course, "Climate-Smart Villages as Platforms for Community-Level Anticipatory Climate Adaptation to Improve Food Security and Resiliency." The first module was delivered virtually, while the remaining modules will be provided onsite through a roving workshop on 25–30 September 2023. The virtual sessions were attended by 22 participants from academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in collaboration with NIRAS Asia Manila Inc. and the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM), held an inception workshop on 8 September 2023. The workshop is part of the technical assistance to the Philippines under the "Accelerating Climate Resilience in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and the Environment (ANRE) Project" funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The workshop is a hybrid event and was participated in by forty-seven (47) national and international experts from relevant government agencies and multisectoral institutions in agriculture, natural resources, and the environment. The… Read more

Aklan, PHILIPPINES - The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) joined the 2nd International Agri-ecotourism Congress hosted by the Aklan State University (ASU) at Paradise Garden in Boracay, Malay, Aklan, Philippines on 11-12 September 2023. With the theme "Revitalizing agro-industrial connectivity toward sustainable ecology and resilient GloCal Village," the event aimed to serve as a platform for the dissemination of research results and sharing knowledge, experiences, and culture in establishing agri-ecotourism technologies and innovations to sustain and mainstream the agri-ecotourism industry to a diverse set of audience. During the opening program, Aklan Governor Jose… Read more