SEARCA News

As the Young Agripreneurs Building Opportunities, Nurturing Growth (YABONG) Bootcamp concludes, the final challenge is set. Participating agripreneurs will harness their newfound skills from the three-month bootcamp to devise innovative business improvement plans for their farms. By graduation day on 9 May 2024, they will bring their strategies to life in a pitch competition, with the top five earning a PHP 50,000 boost to kickstart their farm enhancements. Mid-April marks the 21st and last online session for the YABONG Bootcamp. At the final face-to-face graduation session, 17 bootcamp finishers will compete for the awards on the best-laid plans while exhibiting… Read more

BULACAN — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the East-West Seed Philippines (EWPH), conducted the first face-to-face session of YABONG or Young Agripreneurs Building Opportunities, Nurturing Growth Bootcamp on 15 March 2024 at the East-West Seed Company in San Rafael and San Ildefonso, Bulacan. This whole-day activity was part of the three-month training program, which aims to enhance the participants' expertise in vegetable production and entrepreneurship. Since its implementation in January, the sessions have been conducted online, and it was the first time that the activity was held face-to-face. The… Read more

MASBATE CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology (DEBESMSCAT) jointly hosted the very first International Research Opportunities, Developments, and Extension Outcomes (IRODEO) Conference held from 10 to 12 April 2024 at the Masbate Coliseum. Adhering to the conference theme "Bridging Horizons: Integrating Knowledge for Regenerative Futures," the first plenary speaker, SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio, spotlighted the pivotal role of partnership and collaborative relationships in accelerating agriculture transformation. He accentuated the need for strategic alliances among the academe… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Newfields Consulting Ltd. (NFC) have jointly offered a series of training activities aimed at providing technical support to carbon farm planners and extension workers in Philippine rice-based farming systems. By offering carbon emission monitoring services, farmers can gain insight into their carbon footprint. They can implement efficient strategies, and play an active role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Following the successful completion of the first and second training workshops held last 10–11 March 2023 and 20–21 November 2023, respectively, the third… Read more

Every year, 300–400 million tons of rice straws are burned as waste or left in flooded paddy fields across Asia, emitting greenhouse gases (GHG) and worsening the climate. Despite the environmental laws prohibiting the improper disposal of rice straws, such as the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act 9003) and the Clean Air Act of 1999 (Republic Act 8749), a PhilRice report in 2016 shows that 70 percent of rice farmers burn rice straws (Sapnu, 2016). To resolve this dilemma, Straw Innovations Ltd. has partnered with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture… Read more

SEARCA has partnered with the Regional SEARCA Alumni Association (RSAA) to host a conference, "Cultivating Tomorrow: SEARCA's Insights for Agriculture's Future"on 25–26 April 2024, at SEARCA in Los Baños, Laguna. The conference aims to showcase the research accomplishments of selected SEARCA scholars as of AY 2023–24 and raise awareness of their role in the future of agriculture. It also seeks to provide a platform for sharing information, practices, knowledge, and skills generated from research and development activities; thereby strengthening the relationship among scholars and alumni. During the two-day conference, 22 scholars will present their research in five sessions: agriculture policy… Read more

CAVINTI, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) partnered with the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) Cavinti, Laguna Sub-office in implementing the fourth district-wide evaluation of the school and home gardens or the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) held from 25 to 26 March 2024. With the theme "Sustaining School-plus-Home Gardens Program Through Continuous Partnership and Linkages," Ms. Soledad Villanueva, public school district supervisor of Cavinti Sub-office and overall program chairperson, expressed gratitude for the continuous and valuable support of SEARCA and their other partners during the opening program. SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn… Read more

Mr. Benjamin Leong, deputy managing director of the International Department of the International Cultural Communication Center Malaysia (ICCCM), visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 20 March 2024 to introduce the International Transnational Education Association (ITEA) and discuss potential areas of collaboration. ICCCM serves as secretariat to ITEA, a non-profit organization that promotes and fosters synergy among institutions and individuals involved in transnational education. With a global network of members, it aims to enhance the quality and accessibility of educational opportunities across borders. During the meeting, Mr. Leong learned about SEARCA's mandate… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and The Head Foundation (THF) kicked off the 2024 Leadership Development Program for Higher Education Institutions (LDP-HEIs) in Southeast Asia with 23 HEIs represented on 14 March 2024 via Microsoft Teams. Now on its sixth run, this cohort is composed of 33 participants across six countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. They are composed of university presidents, faculty deans, department heads, and other HEI leaders with administrative positions. Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, deputy director for programs of SEARCA, encouraged the participants… Read more

Celebrating the achievements of women and creating opportunities for them to be part of the discussion and promote inclusivity, especially in the agricultural sector, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Center and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) together with the Philippines Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA), held the "WE Can Do It: Empowering Women in Agriculture" Forum on 13 March 2024 at the BGC Community Farm by Urban Farmers PH, Taguig City, Philippines. Ms. Angel Bautista, Country Director of PPSA, encouraged everyone to step up and become champions for women, especially women in agriculture who are sustaining food systems globally… Read more